


sauvage

by 64907



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Succubi & Incubi, Demon Hunters, Divination, Explicit Sexual Content, Felching, Hunters & Hunting, M/M, Masturbation, Mental Link, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Spells & Enchantments, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:53:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 96,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5514650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/64907/pseuds/64907
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakurai Sho is one of the most proficient demon hunters in his guild. Then he volunteers for a new assignment, allowing a freelance hunter to tag along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lotus

**Author's Note:**

> This story is actually finished but I'm still redoing some scenes and my total output so far is 90+k words. I decided to post this in chunks so as not to shock anyone. The tags will be updated according to how the story progresses. Thank you to my beta yoshi09 who had nothing but encouragement for this ever since.
> 
> ETA (07/29): This story is complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's rating is T, and is also available on [Livejournal](http://64907.livejournal.com/18348.html).

_ Once we begin to want, we fall under the jurisdiction of the Devil. _  
Emil Cioran, The Trouble With Being Born (1973)

\--

It’s close, Sho can feel it.

He has laid out his traps perfectly, and if his alomancy from earlier is something he can rely on (it always is), that means it’s only a matter of time. This one wasn’t very clever, he thinks. It didn’t cover its tracks as efficiently as Sho’s previous assignments did. It didn’t hop from place to place to ensure minimal detection. If anything, this one is probably too confident that it got carried away.

Sho is only waiting for that crack in the air, that one obvious sign that the trap has been disturbed and after that he’s more than ready. He checks if his pentagram is obscured enough for the demon not to notice it until it’s too late. He covered his markings in sand, setting up the perfect illusion of undisturbed ground. It’s a technique with a ninety-eight percent success rate. Only the veterans, as Sho’s boss likes to call it, are able to detect it and Sho’s current assignment is far from being a veteran.

Satisfied, Sho remains where he’s currently hiding, crouching behind a boulder as he watches every human passersby go about in their business. The people of Kaimachi are aware of Sho’s business; they’re the ones who requested for aid after all. The master hunter in Sho’s guild chose to send him because Sho was becoming more irritable as his stagnation continued. Sho at that time just came back from successfully banishing a terrorizing succubus from the south and while he did enjoy the idea of a mission getting over and done with, Sho has always liked the idea of hunting more.

Needless to say, he had no complaints when he was sent to this town despite knowing that the demon here poses very little challenge. Work is work, and as long as people are willing to pay him gold for his expulsion of demons, he’s more than willing to lend a hand.

If this mission doesn’t sweat his abilities, well, the townsfolk probably won’t know that much so perhaps he can still ask for a reasonable price. He knows his guild master will never settle for anything below seventy thousand gold coins and that he’ll rat out on Sho once Sho turns up with something less than that.

He sees a lady bartering for apples and that’s when he hears it. A tiny spark of electricity in the air, soft enough to be inaudible if one isn’t watching out for it, but Sho is so he prepares himself once he hears it. He sees a man, a farmer judging by his clothes and the straw hat, approach the woman with the apples and that’s when Sho knows that it’s the one he’s been looking for.

Sho smiles. It hasn’t even been a day and he already knows he’ll get gold before the sun sets. The guild master will be delighted.

The demon takes an apple from the startled woman and Sho watches how the entity puts its charm into work, how it completely spellbinds the unsuspecting potential victim for the week. The townspeople told Sho that they’ve been plagued with “the problem” (as they called it; they were too afraid to call it for what it is) for three weeks now, and if Sho’s tally is right, this woman can very well be its seventh victim.

Sho smirks when he sees that the demon in disguise finally notices that it is trapped. Its grip on the apple tightens reflexively, and Sho takes that as his cue to spring out from his hiding place and perform the rest of banishing ritual. The demon walked blindly into his trap in an attempt to lure another innocent and Sho watches how with each incantation he utters the demon’s disguise falls off, revealing its true form.

The scene causes the townsfolk surrounding them to fall into a state of panic, but Sho doesn’t let it shatter his concentration. He keeps his eyes on the demon’s scarlet and furious ones, knowing full well that it won’t be long now. He approaches the pentagram where the demon’s effectively trapped in, kicking and scattering sand to reveal the design and enforce the binding spell.

“Your name, demon,” he asks without ceremony because that’s the only thing left for him to do to finish the banishment spell. Sho knows from experience that this is the part demons hate the most because if they provide their name, their true name, then they’re also acknowledging that the human they bequeathed it to now holds power over them. It’s the final ingredient for a successful banishment spell since having the true name in their true form sends them back to limbo, unable to return for centuries.

The demon seethes, hissing through its small fangs, its small horns glistening in the sun. It continues thrashing against its invisible bindings despite the futility of it, snarling at Sho in demon tongue. It bares its long claws at Sho, but Sho remains where he stands because as long as he doesn’t cross the lines of the pentagram, the demon cannot touch him.

Sho sighs. This is becoming boring. “Your name,” he repeats, “unless you want me to drain you completely with no hope of ever returning then be my guest.” He smiles at the snarling creature and extends his palms in a gesture of compromise. “It’s only for a few centuries, anyway. After that I’ll be dead and you can terrorize again.”

Sho watches how his other spells take effect. His threat of draining the demon completely are very true after all. He watches with slight interest as different sigils begin to appear on the demon’s alabaster skin, light marks which darken as each second passes by. If the demon keeps this resistance up, the sigils will eventually overpower him and cover his entire body and eventually exterminate him to nothing but dust.

The demon winces in obvious pain, its furious red eyes still on Sho. Its thrashing now becomes violent, the spells upon it making its pale skin ripple before draining it of moisture, leaving it dried and looking ashen. Sho tilts his head. Three full weeks this one scandalized this peaceful town. It won’t just die like this, will it?

The creature keeps its raging eyes on Sho and Sho simply nods at it to prompt it to speak. It’s fighting a losing battle anyway. Through its tiny fangs comes a small, angry whisper of “Toma,” and Sho smirks, nodding in thanks.

He clears his throat. “Very well, Toma. I banish you from this land and this dimension altogether in this time and send you back to that chasm from whence you came.” Sho hates how theatric these spells sound, but they’re very effective so he has long gotten over the shame of saying them out loud. Besides, he gets paid for saying these stuff so he sees nothing to be ashamed for.

Gold is gold, as his guild master is so fond of saying.

“This banishment shall last for as long as I breathe, and for as long as a drop of my blood exists.” Sho likes this part. He likes how precise the banishment spell is that it ensures full effectivity as long as the caster’s bloodline exists, regardless if it’s through his distant relatives.

Basically, as long as a Sakurai related to his father exists, none of the demons Sho sent back to limbo can roam free. And Sho has lost count what number Toma is. He’s pretty sure the number of incubi and succubi he sent back are plenty enough for them to start a club under his name. For all he knows they might have done that already and Toma will inevitably be the newest member to those unfortunates banished by him.

That thought amuses him. Member number whatever of the banished by Sakurai Sho club, proceed to limbo at once. He chuckles at the idea.

He catches Toma the incubus’ eyes one last time and Toma seethes through his teeth, “One of these days, demon hunter,” and Sho frowns at the moniker because is that what these creatures use to refer to him and to anyone in his profession? If that’s the case then how boring and unimaginative of these lot. He’s actually a bit offended. He thinks he’s sent more than enough of them to gain a reputation for himself.

The incubus struggles to speak as it gets inevitably sucked in the void that opened up below its feet the very moment Sho finished his spell, but it continues, “One of these days, Sakurai Sho, you will meet your match,” pointing at Sho with a sharp claw and Sho smiles.

“Can’t wait,” he says as Toma finally sinks fully into the void and disappears, leaving only the scent of sulfur in the air and a mark of its feet on the ground where it once stood. Sho stares at the dark ashes shaped as feet with tiny claws before turning back to the townsfolk who undoubtedly saw the entire exchange.

Not that he has any problems about that. The more witnesses, the better. He can claim his proficiency in his extermination if half of the townspeople saw him do it, which is why he made sure to lay out his traps in the most crowded places.

The more witnesses, the possibility of more gold. It’s a competitive business after all. They’re not the only guild out there, not when incubi and succubi alike feel bolder in crossing dimensions with each passing day.

The mayor Ariyoshi approaches him and Sho keeps his eye on the pouch on the mayor’s hands. He can already predict their guild master saying something about that, considering that the pouch isn’t as big as expected.

But Sho doesn’t have it in him to ask for more when the mission wasn’t even up to his own standards. He’s also never the type of hunter who extorts from people just because he can. He has his own sense of morality that he knows, from the very moment he stepped foot in this town, that he’s bound to get seventy thousand and not a coin more, regardless if he finished the job within a day.

He still takes the pouch gratefully, tipping his hat to the mayor who cheers with its people. The townsfolk invite him to stay the night, telling him that they have prepared a small feast in the town square, and Sho accepts. This town has Sho’s favorite food as their most popular product, after all. How can he refuse when they’re offering him a feast of shellfish? If this is their way of thanking him, so be it. Far it be from him to ask for more when the people are already offering what they can.

He smiles genially to the people of Kaimachi as he straps the gold pouch to his belt. He can't wait for his other reward.

\--

Sho arrives in the guild headquarters two days after he left the town of Kaimachi. Aiba, the guild witch doctor, welcomes him with enthusiasm and claims that the entire guild has heard of his success because news travels that quickly. Aiba excitedly shows him a paper from three days ago, stating that the town of Kaimachi in the west is now incubus-free and it’s all thanks to the Lotus’ efforts.

Another credit to the guild name and it’s all thanks to him, Aiba declares with pride.

Before Sho can reply however, he hears a series of footsteps from the wooden staircase at the center of the guild hall, and he doesn’t need to look to know that it’s the guild master.

“As expected from my A-class hunter slash best friend,” Nino says, his boot stomping impatiently on one of the steps. “Still, you’re a day late. Any explanations why?” Sho understands why Nino demands this from him because Nino has always known him to be precise with his schedules. He’s almost never late, unless there’s a side mission he chose to take care of on the way back.

Being the guild master, Nino definitely wants to know about something like that.

Aiba speaks up before Sho can open his mouth. “Hang on, Nino! I haven’t checked him for any injuries yet.” Aiba proceeds to poke and prod Sho in different places and Sho squirms and tries to wave off Aiba’s hands on his person.

Nino rolls his eyes. “You could’ve done that from the moment he stepped foot in that door, seeing as you’re the witch doctor here.” He points at Aiba who just grins before giving Sho the okay. Nino pointedly sighs. “Of course he’s not injured. When was the last time he has been injured, anyway?”

Sho smiles. “Three years ago, from that encounter with the succubus from your hometown,” he recalls and Nino smiles back.

“Took the two of us to send that one back, but no, don’t steer me someplace else. You’re late,” Nino pauses, this time pointing at him. “Explain.”

Sho approaches the end of the staircase carefully, his footsteps only creaking the floorboards slightly. “They had shellfish,” he simply says, and Nino rolls his eyes at him.

“Food,” Nino says, “I feel like I should have known. Of course it’s your favorite food which will delay you in getting back from a mission that didn’t even make you sweat. Not a sudden errand, not a side mission, not a possible altercation with another guild, but food.” Nino gestures with a tilt of his head to the top of the staircase where his office is. “Let’s take this upstairs, shall we?” he offers, and Sho nods before following him up.

When Sho meets Aiba’s eyes from the first floor of the guild, Aiba just nods at him in understanding. How he knew that Nino will definitely say something about this mission’s earnings, Sho will never know, but that’s Aiba. Maybe it comes with his witch doctor abilities or something. Sho has no idea, he’s only a hunter.

Nino plops himself comfortably in his massive chair and sets his boot-clad legs on top of his wooden, polished desk. Behind Nino, Sho sees a couple of jobs posted, some with massive red Xs denoting that they’re taken and probably completed, some with no marks at all denoting they’re up for grabs.

As always, Nino marked the highest paying jobs with a red star on the side, and Sho slightly panics when he sees that one town in the west is willing to pay half a million for a simple extermination. At this rate, Nino will definitely say something about the pouch strapped to his belt.

Nino’s lips twitch towards the said pouch and Sho sighs before untying it and setting it on Nino’s table. Nino doesn’t even touch the thing, he simply grabs his trusted dagger (Sho knows that one too well) from its holster and makes a clean cut on the bag, the coins spilling noisily on the wooden surface of the desk.

Nino only takes a glance at the coins and then he’s going “Exactly seventy thousand despite your prompt completion?” at Sho that Sho wonders for a moment how Nino managed to count that fast.

He can only nod as Nino’s eyes grow wide. “How poor is that town?! I thought they’d give you at least five or ten thousand more considering you didn’t even take a damn day!”

Sho sighs. “It was all they had, Nino,” he tries to explain but Nino clicks his tongue at him.

“You mean to say you never asked for more.” He waves a finger at Sho. “I know you, Sho-chan. You’re too nice for your own good and this is exactly why you were far richer back when we were still partners.”

That’s true and Sho doesn’t even need Nino’s skill in money counting to prove that. Back in the day, he let Nino handle the negotiations as he planned their exterminations carefully. It was always the “leave the planning to Sho and the money to Nino” strategy they employed and Sho admits the money he got at that time despite the 50-50 split was still way more than what he’s getting nowadays.

But then Nino decided to set up his own guild and three years later they have 122 members, fourteen of which are A-class like Sho. Sho is prepared to bet that out of those fourteen, he’s the one with the lowest earnings. He’s also sure Nino would have kicked him out ages ago if it weren’t for the number of times they saved each other’s asses in the past and the number of instances Nino owed him his life and vice versa.

Also because it would look bad if word gets out that the Lotus suddenly kicked out its vice guild master.

Nino runs a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowed at Sho. “Seriously, Sho-yan,” he begins, and Sho knows this is it, Nino’s going into one of his lectures about money again because he does that every time he uses that nickname on Sho, “we both know how good you are, I mean, you won’t be my vice if you’re shit at your job so you’re not, but your earnings definitely don’t show that.”

Sho pouts a little at that. “You’re the one who sent me to Kaimachi,” he points out.

Nino just flips the dagger in his hand. “Because you were being irritable ever since you came back from that high-paying job from Fujin. We both know what lack of work does to you Sho-chan, being the hardworking, dedicated hunter that you are.”

Nino’s got a point but of course Sho won’t tell him that. He doesn’t think he has to, anyway. Nino knows him too well to the point Nino wasn’t even surprised when Sho was late because he had to partake a lot from whatever Kaimachi offered to him.

Sho decides to steer Nino back on topic. “So,” he begins, gesturing to the spilled pile of gold coins on Nino’s desk. “70-30?”

Nino quirks an eyebrow before grinning, and Sho knows that grin well enough to know what he’s going to say next. “No,” Nino answers sweetly, just as Sho expected. They’ve been through this before. “You’re late so it’s going to be 65-35. Maintaining a guild requires a lot of funding.”

Sho’s eyes grow wide at that. Five percent less from his already meager earning? It’s not like the equipment they use come cheap. Toma from Kaimachi didn’t require elaborate equipment because he was classified as threat level 8, something that’s honestly below Sho’s abilities but he was bored so it was him Nino sent there.

Anyway, the lower the number of threat level, the more costly and elaborate the equipment becomes. The last time Sho took on a level 0, it depleted nearly half of his bank savings. Granted, that one paid him in full and replenished his account, but if he gets less than five percent from usual then the next time he faces a higher classification he’ll be cutting it short.

Nino knows that, doesn’t he?

Nino smirks at him, the kind he uses whenever money’s involved. Aiba calls it Nino’s scheming face behind Nino’s back. “Thirty-five,” Nino repeats, “the guild gets thirty-five this time because one, you gorged yourself on shellfish which delayed your schedule for an entire day, and two, you’re almost always absent that I’m without a vice nearly ninety percent of the time I have to conduct a guild evaluation. It’s bad for the guild image, you know.”

Sho’s shoulders slump at that and Nino keeps the grin on his face. “I told you, Sho-chan. Maintaining a guild requires a lot of funding, and who else will I get my funds from seeing as I’m retired and my job is to direct aspiring hunters to eventual greatness while putting stars on the highest paying missions posted behind my back?”

“I’m not your only A-class, Nino,” Sho reminds him, in hopes that Nino will relent despite knowing how futile that is.

“True,” Nino says, “why it’s only yesterday when Kamenashi-kun turned up here and brought three hundred and fifty in front of me.”

Sho narrows his eyes at that because last time he checked, Kamenashi wasn’t that good. Sure, he’s an A-class like Sho, but Sho’s definitely better than him and Sho’s not bragging if he says that. He’s not bragging if he says he’s the only hunter in the Lotus that managed to take on a level 0 alone because it’s true.

The succubus from Nino’s hometown from three years ago was a classified level 00, which is why it took the two of them to send it back to where it came from.

Nino keeps smiling at him. “In case you want to know, Kamenashi-kun took on a level 6. Level 6, Sho-chan, and they paid him three hundred and fifty for it in full.”

Okay, so Nino’s definitely using the other A-class hunters to make Sho see the importance of extorting from people. Well, it’s not really extortion if Sho’s doing his job, but he still thinks it’s unfair if he asks for more than what the people can provide.

Surely Nino understands that?

“Nino,” he begins, and Nino tilts his head innocently at him, “70-30 for now and I promise I’ll bring in something big next time.” This is the best offer Sho can give to his trusted friend and guild master because they both know how good Sho is that he’s practically on the same level of skill and proficiency as Nino, but since Nino is retired and sitting pretty, he’s technically the highest ranking hunter in this guild in terms of skill and experience.

Nino blinks at him for a few times. “Okay,” he says, finally sheathing the dagger he’s been playing with back in its holster at his leg. He grins at Sho and Sho nods, relaxing slightly.

Nino’s eyes turn mischievous for a fraction of a second before saying, “65-35, Sho-chan, and you better bring something big. That’s final.” It makes Sho whine his best friend’s name as Nino just cackles evilly.

\--

Becky, the guild’s resident witch, welcomes Sho happily into her office when Sho has no place to go to and he feels like sulking. Becky is the top witch of her coven, something Nino likes to brag about whenever people come to their guild asking for help, claiming theirs is a place full of only the experienced and truly skilled.

Well, that’s true. Becky only agreed to work for Nino because she wanted to have a place to herself, a place where she can practice the arts and no one will disturb her unless they want a permanent black eye or something. Sho saw her do that to a guild member who annoyed her and needless to say, that member has worn an eyepatch ever since.

“Now that’s a face I haven’t seen for a while in my office!” Becky exclaims, pinching his cheeks as soon as he passed through her doors. “What is it, Sakurai-kun, this witch’s abilities no longer of any use to you? Have you forgotten that you wouldn’t have the biggest reason of your popularity in the demon hunter world if it wasn’t for me?”

“Of course not,” Sho says, massaging his recently abused cheeks. “I will forever owe you for that one.”

Becky grins at him before telling him, “And you will do well to remember that unless you want a hex or something worse.”

It was Becky who helped him track the level 0 from a year and a half ago. It was because of Becky’s combined proficiency at apantomancy, cleromancy, and alomancy that Sho managed to corner the level 0 incubus in the small town of Kangiten. It earned Sho majority of the popularity Lotus is receiving because people started flocking to their guild the very moment the news of a successful banishment of a level 0 spread across the continent.

“Don’t worry, I’ll never forget,” Sho assures her as he takes a seat. “I don’t have to tell you how boring this recent one went, do I?”

Becky waves him off with a hand. “Of course not,” she gestures to her table and Sho sees a set of pebbles lying neatly at the surface of it. “I saw everything. Not the usual types you go for, Sakurai-kun, and honestly, even I am disappointed.”

Sho sighs. “Nino’s not very pleased,” he says, even if it was obvious.

“I bet he looted from you again,” Becky says with a small laugh, and she giggles loudly when Sho just nods. Becky suddenly turns serious and she peers at him through her long lashes.

“Ah,” she says after a moment, “so that’s what you’re here for.” She waves a finger at Sho and Sho simply smiles before nodding. “You need me to look if there are strong ones befitting your skills that roam about and terrorize the innocents and the unsuspecting.”

“There’s no one else I trust,” Sho says, and Becky laughs.

“You can do better than that, you know,” she says, but she walks towards her desk and spreads her palms over the scattered pebbles, her expression already shifting from mirth to full concentration. Sho doesn’t dare disturb her because he learned from a long time ago that his life expectancy will be longer if he falls under Becky’s list of people she likes. He doesn’t dare do something that will kick him out of that list.

Sho watches in fascination as the pebbles begin to shake, small quakes at first before escalating to the point that even the table trembles. Sho feels a significant temperature drop and he maintains his silence despite a feeling of combined dread and anticipation already swimming in his gut.

This is exactly how it happened last time, he remembers. The last time he asked Becky to track down a demon, the exact same thing happened. He doesn’t need Becky to tell him that what she’s probably seeing is a high-ranking one because that much is obvious. Using divination to find a demon is a common practice and usually undetected by the demon being tracked, unless they’re very perceptive and sensitive. Once they feel the attention, they try their best to fight against the intrusion which results to the divination materials being disturbed, like the pebbles currently shaking under Becky’s spread palms.

This one is a strong one then, Sho realizes. So strong that it makes even the desk quake, so persistent in resistance against the intrusive spell that it won’t take long before either it or Becky gives up. But Becky is persistent, which is something Nino definitely likes about her. And honestly, it’s something Sho likes about her too because it makes her a very good tracker in case the hunters’ skills prove to be insufficient.

Becky suddenly withdraws, sending half of the pebbles to the floor. Sho moves to pick them up as Becky takes a seat, breathing heavily. She looks at Sho with slightly lidded eyes and Sho mumbles an apology, but Becky simply waves him off.

“He’s very strong, I’ll give him that,” Becky tells him, and Sho frowns.

“He? An incubus, then?” he confirms and Becky nods.

“Very persistent in his resistance too. He kept fighting me and kept blocking me before sending me a wave of glee and disappearing.” Becky gestures to the stones in Sho’s hands and Sho understands. A demon suddenly vanishing disrupts the divination. He knows because he’s more or less adept at practicing it too, though he's only limited to alomancy. Becky's the only one in this guild who has exceptionally mastered three practices. The one she just used is cleromancy and that's something Sho won't be capable of even if he tries his best.

Becky looks up at him with a frown. "Are you sure you haven’t heard of anything?”

Sho tries to recall the jobs he’d seen earlier on the bulletin board in Nino’s office. The only open and high-paying job he saw on that board offers half a million and anything in that reward range is probably a level 3 or 4. Not something that can fight a top witch and take off unscathed, definitely.

“Let’s go see Nino,” Becky offers, and Sho moves to help her stand but she waves him off. “I’m stronger than you, Sakurai-kun, and we both know that.”

Sho laughs at that, knowing that should Becky wish it she could snap him in half or turn him into a plant with no problem. He raises his hands in surrender and lets Becky lead the way.

\--

“Ah, that,” Nino says when Sho and Becky reach the guild master’s office and after they finished explaining what happened in Becky’s cleromancy. “That one’s been up for two months. I heard Yamashita from Code Blue took that one more than three weeks ago.”

Nino still has his legs on top of his desk, a look of boredom etched on his face. He tilts his head at them. “Guess he didn’t succeed then, if Becky here just had a chance encounter with the current talk of the continent.”

Sho frowns at that. If this incubus is so problematic, how come he hasn’t heard of it? Nino seems to know what he’s thinking because he’s suddenly explaining, “You were busy taking down the level 1 from Fujin when word got out to the guilds.”

“And you didn’t tell me about it when we haggled for the division earlier because?” he asks Nino, who smirks.

“Because I told you, Code Blue took the job. I didn’t want to risk sending anyone else especially if it’s a zero.”

At that, Sho straightens. Level 0, then. He wonders why Code Blue took on such a dangerous one. Yamashita is an A-class like Sho, but the highest one he ever banished was a classified level 1. Sho supposes the guild thought Yamashita was ready for something big after his success. It’s how most guilds compete in the business. If a member succeeds in taking down a certain level of threat, a guild automatically sends them in to take down the next level higher than that.

Sho thinks that’s partly his fault because ever since his success at taking down a zero all on his own, the business became more competitive and jobs became more scarce even for someone like him. Then again, Sho thinks it’s hardly his fault if he was the only one at that time who was brave enough to take on a zero.

“Sakurai-kun,” Becky says from his right, coaxing him from his thoughts. “You do know that if this one continues its streak at making guilds fail in banishing it, its threat level will undoubtedly increase?”

Sho nods, and he looks at Nino, the two of them exchanging a silent conversation.

“No,” Nino says after Sho gives him a look that clearly asks for permission. “Becky’s right. This one’s at zero before Yamashita took the job, and that classification assignment was from more than a month ago. Now that it undoubtedly made Code Blue eat its dust, this one’s going to be at level 00 once word breaks out and no, I’m not sending you alone for something like that.”

Sho places his palms on top of Nino’s table, leaning a little to show Nino how serious he is. “I took a level 00 once, Nino, in case you’re forgetting.”

“You did and we did that together,” Nino acknowledges. “I had your back at that time, Sho-chan, and you had mine but you still got injured.” Nino shoots a pointed look at Sho’s side, the place where the succubus left a distinct claw mark on him. Had it been left alone, Sho would have died. He remembers how Nino panicked at that time, screaming for a witch doctor the very moment Sho went down, just after they successfully banished the succubus.

It was when they both met Aiba and Aiba saved Sho’s life. Sho’s never going to forget that and he knows Nino won’t too.

“That was three years ago,” Sho points out to Nino, “and I definitely got better after all this time. Let me take this one, Nino.”

“No,” Nino repeats, sounding more stern than before. “I planned this out, Sho-chan. I knew you were going to offer yourself up once you learn about this job which is precisely why I didn’t tell you about it. I knew you were going to ask for this one the very moment you learn that something that strong and resilient is out there.”

“As I should,” Sho says, still holding his ground. “You and I both know that we’re the only ones who take on something like that, but seeing as you’re retired and you’re guild master, that leaves me. I’m the only one who can take care of that, Nino.”

Nino sighs, a breath full of combined frustration and defeat. He runs a hand down his face.

“Nino,” Becky says, and suddenly Sho remembers that she’s there as well. He forgot about Becky in his persistence. “What do you say we wait it out? Wait till word gets out that Yamashita failed. Wait until we’re sure.”

Nino fixes her a look. “We are sure. You’re you, you’re that good and we all know that. If what you just tracked had the strength to fight you, heck, even laugh at you before disappearing, then that gives us all the assurances we want to prove that Yamashita failed.”

Sho knows Nino is right because Becky’s skills are unparalleled. Becky, however, straightens up and meets Nino’s stare head on. “Then give me time to make sure and track him again. Begging your pardon guild master, but you and I both know no one can stop your vice here once he decides he’s going to do something. You’re both idiots like that and I honestly made peace with that a long time ago, ever since I joined this guild actually. So I propose we wait it out, plan for it so Sakurai-kun here doesn’t end up dying if that’s what you’re so terrified of.”

Sho feels like smirking at that because of course Becky’s got his back. Becky only uses Nino’s position when she feels like calling things out. She may call Sho an idiot, but that’s only because she knows him well enough and cares about him a lot.

Nino sighs and Sho knows it’s a sigh of defeat. Nino will never dare fight against Becky, not even if he’s technically Becky’s boss. No one fights Becky, period. “We wait it out,” Nino acquiesces, fixing Sho and Becky a look. “As soon as they declare this one a double zero I want full disclosure on everything you two are planning to do.” Nino turns to look at him before saying, “Especially you, Sho-chan.”

Sho grins at him, knowing that’s Nino’s way of saying yes, he’s giving Sho the job. Nino just likes to use big words because he hates losing to Sho.

“Don’t be so grumpy,” Becky says to Nino before leaning and giving Nino’s cheek a pinch. Nino scowls at her and Sho laughs.

“I’m still your boss,” Nino points out, and Becky quirks an eyebrow.

“And your point is? Shall I hex my boss so he won’t hide jobs from his hunters anymore?” Becky challenges, and Sho just laughs unhelpfully because it’s very rare Nino gets ganged up on like this. Sho’s never been more thankful to have Becky on his side. He definitely made the right decision to go to her after Nino extorted an extra five percent from his usual seventy.

Serves him right, Sho thinks.

Nino scowls at Becky again before opening his desk drawer. He pulls out a folded piece of parchment and flings it at Sho, the paper hitting Sho square on the chest before dropping to the desk. As Sho takes the folded paper in hand, Nino explains, “That’s the posting from two months ago,” and Sho’s eyes grow wide.

Two million. They’re offering two million for the banishment of this one and this posting was two months ago. Who knows how much they’re offering now?

Nino does, obviously, so Sho asks him. “How much is this one after Yamashita took the job?”

Nino licks his lips before answering Sho with “Three,” and Sho inhales. Three million at level 0. That’s just the right amount of gold for something at that level. Sho remembers that his last level 0 earned him a four because he’s the only one who managed to send it back, and because he finished the job with three days to spare and actually lived to tell the tale.

Now this one is at three. Three and still at level 0. Sho wonders if it will end up surpassing the payment he and Nino got from the one and only double zero in their career. They got a seven for that, split 50-50 and Sho’s never had a job as rewarding as that ever since.

Except for this. This new one has a lot of potential and he’s sure he’s not the only one who sees that. Nino definitely sees that because money is the only thing Nino loves more than himself, and Sho has known Nino long enough to know Nino already calculated the potential earnings this one will bring should Sho succeed.

“How much?” Sho asks, knowing Nino already understands the meaning of the question. Becky giggles, obviously understanding too.

Nino spreads his palms for effect, his eyes focused on Sho’s. “If my calculations and estimations are correct,” Nino begins and Sho rolls his eyes at the theatrics, “and they always are, believe me, once this one reaches double zero you can get as high as an eight if we draw it out to the point they’ll be begging for the Lotus to step in.”

Well, now Sho proves that Nino wasn’t lying when he claimed that he planned this out already. So that’s Nino’s plan then. To step out of the limelight in order to milk whoever’s desperate to get rid of a demon. Sho sees the effectivity of Nino’s scheme. If they do wait it out until someone comes and asks for the Lotus guild to finally interfere, that gives Nino the chance to ask for a price.

And knowing Nino, he will definitely ask for something higher than the succubus he took down with Sho three years ago and he will actually get away with it the moment he uses the client’s desperation to his advantage. It makes Nino an efficient guild master who runs a guild but never runs out of money. No client can outwit Nino because Nino is a former hunter, someone as good as Sho, and Sho knows all it will take is for Nino to elaborate how dangerous a hunter’s job is and he will undoubtedly get a “Name your price.”

That’s Nino’s favorite phrase in the world.

Sho refolds the job posting and tucks the piece of paper in his pocket. “Wait it out,” he says, looking at Becky first who nods, and finally to Nino who just shrugs.

“Fine, fine. I already agreed, didn't I?” Nino grumbles, before waving his hands and shooing Sho and Becky away. “Now get the hell out of my office, you two.”

\--

It takes a day and a half for word to reach the guild that the level 0 is still not subdued and that Becky’s divinations proved to be true. It takes another day for a new job posting to be released, declaring that an incubus now classified as a double zero has decimated the towns of Hachimitsu, Izanami, Kissaki, and Saruta with a victim count of more than 180 combined men and women.

A casualty, the morning paper says. While incubi and succubi are never known to fully harm anyone, their method of harnessing energy through sexual stimulations can turn into something alarming if not controlled. A demon grows stronger as its victim count increases, and if no hunter makes a move to stop it now, it might actually be completely unstoppable in the future.

Seducers of the night is the name used by people who are too afraid to say their collective name, and from Sho’s experience, it’s a fitting epithet. It takes a lot to be able to resist them once they pick a rightful prey, even more to be able to subdue their advances. He knows from firsthand experience because his last zero nearly cracked him. He wonders now how good this one is.

Nino summons Sho in his office the very moment the job postings have been updated, and just to ensure Nino can’t yell at him or make him change his mind, Sho has Becky tagging along in his trip to the guild master’s office. Nino frowns at the sight of Becky entering with Sho, immediately catching on to Sho’s ploy, and Sho smirks.

Becky grins at Nino as she takes a seat on Nino’s desk. Sho knows only Becky can sit on the guild master’s desk aside from the guild master himself because she’s far more powerful than Sho and Nino combined, far more skilled to the point if she does something to them, they won’t know till it’s too late.

That doesn’t mean Nino appreciates having anyone who’s not him make themselves at home in his office, if the scowl he has on his face is any indication. Becky raises an eyebrow in challenge, daring Nino to say something, but Nino just shrugs and points to the board behind him.

It doesn’t take long for Sho to see the updated job posting, its paper is the whitest on the board anyway. Freshly printed and scattered throughout the guilds in the continent, Sho wonders how many potential takers does this job have this time, considering the minimum payment offer.

Sho mouths the amount quietly and Nino nods slowly, because he’s been watching for Sho’s reactions ever since he pointed to the ad. “That’s right, Sho-chan,” Nino says, and when Sho glances at Nino he thinks Nino has already calculated the thirty percent of the amount.

“Four point five. They’re offering a minimum pay of four point five for this thing to be banished,” Nino tells him, as if Sho can’t read the amount himself. That’s more than Sho expected, but he supposes if an incubus as skilled as this one has managed to terrorize four towns and escape unharmed, the amount is simply a testament to that.

“Any plans?” Nino asks, and it’s Becky who answers for Sho.

“I tracked him down again,” Becky begins and Nino’s eyebrows shoot up. Becky just nods at Nino and continues, “And the last thing he let me see, which was half a day ago, is that he’s on the edge of Nie.”

Nino pulls out a map from one of his desk drawers, setting it on top of the table. “Nie, Nie,” Nino’s muttering, “that’s far up north, and mapping out the rest of his tracks,” Nino pauses, small fingers hovering over the tattered parchment of the map, a frown etched on his face.

Sho decides to finish the thought. “He can be in Yomi or Wado next. A two-week travel maximum if I get a move on now.”

Nino turns to him, frown not leaving his face. “You do understand, Sho-san,” he begins slowly and Sho knows this is serious because Nino only uses that honorific if Sho’s on the verge of swan diving without thinking, “that this one’s truly playful and skilled? He let Becky see where he’s going. You do understand what that means, don’t you?”

Sho moistens his slightly chapped lips. “That he wants us to go after him.”

“Exactly,” Nino agrees, his finger tapping incessantly on the part of the continent map labeled Nie. “He has already shamed Yamashita and in case you are forgetting, Code Blue is one of the major reasons why the job ads get refreshed thrice a week. Now that this one’s got Yamashita, it’s us he’s after. You have a reputation among their kind, Sho-san, a reputation that only grows with each mission you take regardless if some of those aren’t on par with your expertise. And since I’m out of the picture and happily retired, your fame only stretches wider.”

That’s true and Sho knows it. He remembers the way Toma from Kaimachi stretched a bony, clawed finger at him and looked at him with utmost hate, the way it stated his name and his job title. He supposes the demons might really have a club under his name somewhere in limbo. They probably exchange stories of Sho’s exterminations over rice crackers and tea, now that Sho thinks about it.

“The last level 00 we sent back together,” Nino reminds him, and Sho immediately nods before saying her name, “Kyoko, that was her name,” and Nino nods back. Sho will never forget her, the only reason he managed to overcome her advances and temptations was that Nino was there and no demon is capable of manipulating two humans at once, no matter how high their threat level classification may be.

“That one hissed at you and called you Sakurai, if I remember correctly, and you know that I do. She called me Nino, but it’s you she addressed in a different manner and I think you know what that means.”

Becky clears her throat as she snatches the map under Nino’s fingertips to examine it. “That means this one is most likely trying to draw us out because we have a reputation as a guild thanks to Sakurai-kun here, is that what you’re saying, guild master? Because you can really get too theatrical sometimes.”

Nino scowls at Becky who giggles as she surveys the map of the continent. Sho watches the exchange with a small smile on his lips, knowing that scowling is all Nino can do against Becky. Nino leans back on his chair and fixes Sho with a look.

“I won’t end up like Yamashita, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Sho tells his friend, knowing that deep inside, Nino is worrying a lot because this is a solo flight mission for Sho. They can’t endanger fellow guild members, and Nino doesn’t like the idea of partnership because it lessens the percentage of earnings the guild gets. Your mission, your call. If you decide to take on a job, it’s up to you how you go about it. As a guild master Nino doesn’t pry, he doesn’t ask for specific details apart from the usual questions of “Where do you plan to go first?” and “Estimated time of getting back here?” and that’s something everyone in the Lotus appreciates.

Sho understands Nino’s concerns though. Sho’s not just a member of the Lotus, he’s the vice guild master and Nino’s best friend. No one’s got Sho’s back this time and Sho knows that the last time Nino was ever truly frightened was also the last time Sho almost died.

He’ll never forget the look on Nino’s eyes that day, the way Nino punched him on the arm and accused him of sending his best friend to an early grave, which is Nino’s usual colorful way of saying that he truly cares a lot and that he’ll be more than sad if Sho dies.

Sho decides to reassure Nino because how can he not? This is Sho’s first mission of banishing a classified double zero; it’s natural that Nino’s scared for him. But Nino needs to understand that Sho has to do this because he’s probably the only one who can.

“Nino,” he begins, “I’m more than skilled to handle this, and if I don’t do this now, when will I? You say he’s luring us out, then let me show this one what we’ve got.”

“Sho-san,” Nino says, his voice stern, “the last time you ever spoke to me like that was the night before you almost died.”

“Yes, but I didn’t die,” Sho points out, and from his right he hears Becky laugh.

Nino sighs, burying his face in his small hands. Sho knows he’s won, and the moment Nino lifts his face up, he’ll call Sho an idiot or something similar. That’s Nino’s way of saying, “All right but please don’t die,” that he saves for Sho alone.

“I can’t stop you no matter what, can I?” Nino asks, sounding defeated.

Sho simply shakes his head and smiles at Nino, who groans.

“Fine,” Nino finally acquiesces, “I will send word that the Lotus is going after this and that we’re sending our best A-class. Stop grinning like that, Sho-chan, I’m just telling the truth,” Nino points an accusatory finger at him.

“But,” Nino pauses, his voice turning serious, “if you don’t turn up in a month after you reach this demon’s last known location, I’m sending out someone to go after you.” Nino drags a hand down his face, hard enough that Sho thinks he’s trying to erase something there. “God forbid that someone’s going to be me.”

Becky reaches over to pat Nino on the head. “Such a worrywart you are. In case you’re forgetting, Nino, you guys have me. With me around Sakurai-kun can definitely track that one down.”

Nino turns to her. “I have no doubt about your skills, Becky. It’s just that this idiot here,” he says, a finger pointing at Sho, “might get more than what he bargained for because he doesn’t have me to call him out before he does something incredibly stupid.”

Sho decides he won’t let Nino damage his ego further. “Not my fault you’re retired.”

Nino flashes him a haughty smirk. “Retired, Sho-chan, but still more than good to send a couple of those bastards back.”

Well, Sho has nothing to say about that. Nino’s only gloating because what he’s saying is true. Nino can probably finish half of the jobs posted behind him in a week or two if he’s still active. But since Nino liked the idea of having people work under him rather than doing the work himself, that brings them back to the present.

“You’re both stupid,” Becky tells them, and before Sho or Nino can counter what she said, she immediately veers them back to the topic at hand. “I’m predicting he’ll be at Yomi because when I attempted to ask him where he’s going, he sent me a wave of what I can only guess as something like, ‘Would you like to venture a guess?’ When I said Yomi I felt him smirking through the contact before disappearing again.”

Nino narrows his eyes at that and Sho exchanges a look with him. Becky nods at the both of them before adding, “Yeah, he’s that playful. No wonder he practically ravaged towns. I can only imagine how charming his disguise is.”

“Haven’t had anyone this naughty before,” Nino muses, probably thinking back to his glorious hunter days with Sho. “The most playful one I ever got was a succubus named Kiko who winked at me when I tracked her using alomancy and that one gave me no trouble at all.”

Sho remembers that. That one happily gave its name and promised to return to limbo only because she claimed it was Nino who asked her to. That was one of the weirdest banishments in Sho and Nino’s career as partners. Sho supposes that one just genuinely liked Nino. It even said it’ll be sad once it can go back because that means a drop of Nino’s blood no longer exists. Sho felt too sorry to send that one back when she said that.

That was the only time Nino did not ask for a price increase and Sho supposes that was because Nino felt sorry to send her back too. Not all demons are as nice and as friendly as that one. In fact, Sho has never met anyone quite like Kiko the succubus. Everybody else snarled at him and called him derogatory names in demon tongue while pointing claws at him.

Nino shoots Sho a look from his position behind the desk. “Looks like this one is as challenging as its reputation suggests, Sho-chan. We might really need your expertise for this, along with Becky’s.” Nino cracks his knuckles before steepling his fingers and leaning his face against them. “You sure you’re up for this?” Nino confirms one last time, and Sho knows it’s his last chance to back out.

“Yes,” says Sho simply. Sho wants to stretch his legs, to see how far he has improved since Kyoko the level 00 from three years ago. He wants to know if his reputation as a proficient hunter isn’t just something that precedes him. He also wants to find out if this incubus’ reputation is something that Sho can attest to by the end of this job.

If Sho succeeds in this, he bets that whenever it is he feels like retiring (and fulfilling his duties as vice guild master at that), he’ll be rich and famous that his family of hunters will have nothing but good things to tell their future generations.

All the better, Sho thinks. If things go that way—he does have wishes to retire someday—then that only ensures that every single banishment spell he ever casted remains formidable even after his death. The people can rest easy and live their lives as they see fit, knowing that the demons Sho sent back won’t be returning anytime soon.

“A month,” Nino tells him, “that’s your deadline. If you need more time you know what to do. Send word as soon as you can so I won’t send half of this guild tracking your ass.”

Becky snickers at that and Sho knows why. Nino might actually do that if he gets desperate enough, and if worse comes to worst, Nino might drop his retirement status and go after Sho himself. If Nino does that, he might also bring Aiba and Becky along out of his fear that something terrible happened to Sho. Sho doesn’t want to inconvenience his guild members over something he volunteered for so he promises that he’ll send word on his progress every week.

“Every three days,” Nino bargains, and Sho just shrugs before saying yes. Becky giggles at Nino and promises she’ll track Sho as well if that will keep Nino sane, and Sho nods to her gratefully.

Nino leans back on his chair and he finally looks placated. He crosses his boot-clad legs on the surface of his desk before dismissing Sho and Becky, telling them in his guild master voice that they have work to do and that he expects Sho to depart first thing in the morning.

\--

Becky claims that the incubus Sho’s now after no longer lets her in. “He has barred it shut. The link, I mean. I may have to find another way to get a link again and I’m not sure he’ll let me do that. He’s terribly skilled and naughty. Sometimes he opens the link only to close it again before I can tap on him, but not before he sends a chuckle my way.”

Sho merely nods in understanding. “That’s okay. You said he was on the edge of Nie the last time he let you in, didn’t you?” he confirms, and Becky simply nods in affirmation as she hands him a small pouch of what Sho assumes to be salt.

“For your alomancy. This is good stuff, I got this one from the seas of Izanami courtesy of one of my sisters in the coven. This is not like the usual salt so I advise you to use only a bit. Just a pinch should do it if you simply want to track his footsteps. Anymore and you might get more than what you’re prepared for.”

Sho takes the pouch gratefully, tucking it inside his breast pocket. “Anymore and I might send Nino to a panic, you mean?” he jokes and Becky smiles.

“Exactly. You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

“No,” Sho says. “Keep an eye on him for me?” He asks Becky because it’s only her Nino will listen to. If Sho ever ends up in a pinch, he knows Nino won’t hesitate to send a search party for him and Becky is the only one who can stop that in case it happens.

Becky shakes her head but she’s smiling. “What a problematic duo you are. I can’t believe I have to look after the two of you, but all right."

Sho thinks nothing has changed about that. While their success rate as partners had always been high, the chances of them getting trapped into something they didn’t account for was also high. It was what made them effective back in the days. Sho made sure to haul Nino out of the way if Nino got in too deep and Nino did the same for him.

Just because Nino is retired now doesn’t mean that has to change. They’re still a handful, as Becky puts it. Sho wonders why Becky sticks with the guild despite that. He makes sure that he will ask her the next time they meet, which is hopefully after Sho finishes his new assignment.

He bids Becky goodbye and she pinches his cheeks one last time before telling him to get moving, and Sho leaves her office with a smile. He makes a short trip to Aiba’s office, and Aiba greets him with a fierce hug and repeated wails of “Sho-chan!”

Sho laughs before dislodging Aiba from him. “I’m not leaving the guild, you know. No need to get dramatic, Aiba-chan.”

Aiba pouts at him. “I think you’re forgetting that the first time we met, you were dying?”

Sho bites his bottom lip at that, feeling a bit guilty. He supposes that was one heck of an impression to leave to someone, the fact that he lay on the ground in the pool of his own blood while his partner repeatedly asked for a witch doctor. Sho understands that Aiba worries as much as Nino does and they do it for similar reasons.

But Sho has to do this and he also knows that Aiba understands that as much as Nino does. Sho thinks he can’t fault them for worrying, especially when they have a firsthand account of Sho almost dying. And since this assignment is on the same level as that one from three years ago, he supposes that’s more reason for Aiba and Nino to be anxious regarding his safety.

“Here,” Aiba tells him as he hands Sho a small knapsack. “The usual first aid stuff in case you need it, also some herbs which I made myself and labeled appropriately,” Aiba fumbles inside the knapsack to show Sho a vial labeled with ‘AWESOME TONIC BY A.M.’ which Sho simply stares at with wide eyes, “also some bandages and other necessities!”

He looks so proud that Sho wonders what other surprises can be found inside that knapsack. He has no doubt about Aiba’s abilities (Aiba did save his life), but Aiba’s tendencies to get overly excited often lead to interesting and potentially dangerous things.

Not that Sho thinks Aiba made something potentially dangerous for him. Still, he can’t wait to examine the rest of the items inside just to see what other things Aiba deemed to be necessary for him to bring. From his experience, Aiba’s way of labeling things are often simple-minded and self-explanatory but still hilarious from time to time. Sho remembers that day when Nino asked Aiba to brew a juice from sandalwood and how Aiba labeled the rest of the stuff as the ‘DISGUSTING THING NINO LIKES’ in big, red letters that Nino smacked him at the back of his head the moment Nino saw the label.

“Thank you,” Sho says, taking the knapsack from Aiba and carrying it over his shoulder. He hears a couple of vials clinking inside and winces. “I didn’t break anything, did I?” he asks cautiously.

Aiba just pats him on the shoulder. “No, they’re much more durable than that!” he claims excitedly and Sho relaxes. The last thing he would want is his emergency medicine supply to be unusable because of something stupid as not carrying them properly.

Aiba gives him another fierce hug and tells him to take care of himself, and Sho promises that he’ll give the guild updates on his progress so Aiba can rest easy. Together they go out of the witch doctor’s office and proceed to the guild hall where Nino is undoubtedly waiting.

Nino always sees Sho off personally whenever Sho takes on a job.

“Do I really have to send word every three days?” Sho asks and Nino raises an eyebrow.

“Only when you reach Nie. It’s a two-week travel and I understand that, so you’re only required to uphold the three-day promise once you begin tracking him.”

Sho smiles and extends a hand to Nino. “Two weeks travel time and a month-long deadline,” he says, “I’ll see you then.”

Nino takes his hand and all his worries and concerns are obvious in the way he’s gripping Sho tightly. “You better,” Nino says, holding him to his word. This is one of Sho’s longest jobs, and possibly the most dangerous. Everyone in the guild was already informed of his most recent assignment and they all sent him well-wishes and good luck.

Nino pulls him to a hug, as fierce as Aiba’s hug from earlier and Sho embraces him back. “I’ll get this, Nino,” he promises, his voice low enough so only Nino can hear him and he feels Nino nodding against his shoulder.

“I know you will,” Nino whispers back before pulling away and with that, Sho leaves for the town of Nie up in the far north, his skills, reputation, and determination the only things he has for company.


	2. Nie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for implications.

It takes Sho a week and five days to reach the town of Nie, the cold breeze from the mountains turning his skin to gooseflesh every now and then as he stands at the town gates.  
   
Every guild has a contact in every town, someone to guide them to a place where they can rest, a place that is exclusively for guild members only. Naturally, that contact is a guild member too, but not as hunters. They’re watchers, ones who send word on what’s happening all over the continent to the guild headquarters at Tenjin. It’s their job to look out for traveling guild members and demons alike and to report sightings of the latter.  
   
Sho’s contact in this town is a man named Ohno Satoshi, and he was supposed to meet Sho at the gates of the town fifteen minutes ago. Sho is shivering, the mountain breeze at this time of the year makes his teeth chatter, and he swears that if this Ohno Satoshi doesn’t arrive in the next five minutes, he will find himself a lodge to stay in and keep himself warm. He’s starting to get annoyed. He has two days to spare from the time limit of a two-week travel to Nie thanks to the gold sitting in his pocket, and for what? For him to freeze at the gates of an unfamiliar town because his fellow guild member chose this crucial point to go missing?  
   
He’s about to head towards a nearby pub when he hears a series of footsteps behind him. Sho turns and he sees a small man walking towards him, a fishing pole made of polished bamboo slung over his shoulder.  
   
The man tips his hat at him before asking, “Sho-kun?” and at first, Sho frowns at the casual use of his name, but then he remembers that he’s vice guild master and that everyone in the Lotus calls their guild master as Nino. Sho can only assume Nino asked them to be just as casual with Sho.  
   
“Ohno-san, then?” Sho asks back, and the man nods before removing his hat. He’s shorter than Sho, possessing slightly tanned skin, and he smiles at Sho so genially that Sho feels bad about the mean things he thought earlier.  
   
“Sorry for being late, I was fishing,” Ohno tells him with a shrug of his shoulder and Sho sees a tuna about the length of his thigh slung over the man’s shoulders. “For dinner, you see,” Ohno explains and Sho thinks, well, if he’s going to eat something as fresh as that for tonight, maybe the fifteen minute wait wasn’t so bad.  
   
Sho waves off Ohno’s apology, asking him to lead the way to the guild lodge. Ohno obliges with a slight tilt of his head and Sho follows obediently. He can’t wait to rest his back and sink into the fluffy pillows Nino provides for the guild. Contrary to Nino’s image, he does use the funding he gets from the guild members in maintaining facilities, something Sho’s always been thankful for because it feels rewarding to make use of such facilities whenever he’s got a big job like this.  
   
Ohno takes him to a small but cozy-looking wooden house and Sho makes a sigh of appreciation at the sight of the plush chairs near the fireplace. Ohno has maintained this house quite well, Sho thinks.  
   
Ohno sets his tuna somewhere in the kitchen before giving Sho a tour of the house, showing him where the bathroom is, the bedrooms, the study where Sho supposes he can do his divinations, as well as the hidden cupboard where some highly elaborate equipment are kept. Not that Sho has no equipment of his own, but Nino likes to be prepared for every casualty so every guild house is stocked adequately in case problems arise.  
   
Sho doesn’t need to ask to know that Ohno can qualify for an apprentice witch doctor too because that’s the minimum requirement Nino sets for his watchers. Not as good as Aiba, but good enough to deal with injuries Sho may incur from this assignment unless they’re truly life-threatening. He knows Ohno is aware of his mission; it’s guild protocol that a watcher is given full disclosure on the nature of an assignment so they can prepare the houses and the equipment appropriately.  
   
“I’ll prepare dinner,” Ohno says and he excuses himself, and Sho reaches inside his breast pocket for Becky’s salt from Izanami. He’s here for work and he figures he might as well start now. He takes a pinch and scatters it through the air, and he immediately notices how different this salt is from the usual ones he uses. They take a longer time to descend, remaining dispersed in the air far longer than Sho’s expectations, and when the particles finally settle on the ground, Sho sees a distinct pattern he can only interpret as a demon sigil.  
   
The incubus has set foot on Nie, then. All in accordance to what he expected and what Becky stated. He tucks the small pouch back in his breast pocket, examining the sigil on the ground. From Sho’s experience as a hunter, he has learned that every demon has its distinct mark, a trace they leave on whatever they touch, be it soil or sand or even somebody else’s skin.  
   
This one near his feet is something different, however. Sho realized long ago that there are similarities between the patterns. The more intricate the design, the higher the challenge a demon poses. Sho’s last level 0, an incubus named Junichi, had a really elaborate design of combined swirls with pointed edges. His previous level 00, the one he sent back with Nino, had a mark made of circles that altogether formed a six-pointed star.  
   
His new assignment is something else. The sigil near his feet are showing mixtures of curved and straight lines, an elaborate pattern of elegance and complexity that puzzles Sho. Becky’s salt gives a clearer view of the sigil, and Sho realizes that while this may not be as elaborate as the patterns he and Nino got from Kyoko three years ago, it’s still far more elaborate than usual zero classifications. He wonders how come this one didn’t get a double zero the first time someone used divination on it.  
   
He remembers Becky telling him that it’s playful. Sho supposes that explains it. If this one is truly playful then it’s not surprising if it tricks people into believing it’s harmless and not threatening at all. The classifications are set out based on the gravity of devastation, after all. Unless a demon, like Sho’s assignment for example, decides to decimate four towns in succession, then that’s the only time one will get a threat level classification assigned to it.  
   
Sho is too busy pondering on his possible next move that he’s startled when someone taps him on the shoulder. He whips his head sharply to face Ohno, who raises both hands in apology.  
   
“I’ve already sent word to Nino that you’ve arrived,” Ohno explains before gesturing to the kitchen with a tilt of his head. Something smells heavenly there that Sho thinks his mouth is watering. He somehow managed to underestimate how hungry he is from the journey when he was too busy focusing on the pattern at his feet.  
   
Of course Sho took stops on his way to Nie, but the promise of a good meal wasn’t assured in every town he passed by. Not every town is as well provided as Nie, and Sho is honestly looking forward to sampling Ohno’s freshly caught tuna.  
   
“And dinner is ready, Sho-kun,” Ohno says with a smile on his face, and Sho wonders if it’s that obvious that he’s starving. He feels heat radiate to his cheeks and Ohno laughs a little at him. “Don’t worry, I knew you were hungry anyway.”  
   
Whatever Ohno made for him tastes delicious that Sho didn’t ask too many questions. He got busy stuffing himself and praising the food every now and then that when Ohno asked him about his plan in order for the watcher to prepare whatever Sho might need, Sho needed to rethink a bit.  
   
“Food” is, of course, the first thing he asks from Ohno and the man just laughs before nodding. “I’ll track his movements first thing in the morning and that includes roaming around town as you know. I’ll have to ask around to assess how bad things are,” Sho explains.  
   
Ohno tilts his head and blinks for few times, appearing contemplative. “What have you heard on your way here, Sho-kun?” Ohno asks him and Sho tries to recall if he ever heard anything new about his assignment as he traveled to Nie.  
   
Sho shakes his head, coming up with nothing even as he tried his hardest to recall. The previous two towns before this, before Nie, were small towns that never experienced any incubi or succubi attack before. Sho remembers himself asking around in those towns and they all had blank faces for him. The townsfolk there had no idea what he was talking about.  
   
Ohno hums, a slight frown appearing on his face. “When you left the headquarters at Tenjin, there was no report of any increase in the victim count, yes?” Ohno confirms and Sho nods.  
   
He’s starting to dread whatever Ohno’s planning to tell him. It can’t be good news, not with the way the man is phrasing what he’s saying. Sho prepares himself.  
   
“Two days before you got here, two of the townspeople here turned up, each having the symbol similar to what I saw on the floor earlier with your salt,” Ohno tells him, and Sho is slightly amazed that the man is actually observant, but he supposes that is just expected from a watcher. He won’t be called a watcher if he can’t notice things like that.  
   
“One of them had the mark on their upper arm, the other on their shoulder blade,” Ohno finishes. Sho knows he doesn’t have to explain to Ohno what that means. Each person who succumbed to the allure and seduction of an incubus or a succubus is left with a mark that will only fade once the demon responsible is nowhere near the vicinity of its victims, but it’s not like the scope isn’t long-ranged. Having two people in Nie bearing the mark of the one Sho is after right now means his job tomorrow just got easier. He simply has to track those two people down and have them tell him about their encounters.  
   
That’s not easy to do though. Nearly everyone who succumbed to a demon’s charms are too embarrassed to tell the tale so Sho knows he’ll need to exert a lot of effort to gather more information. So far the only information he has is the demon’s sigil, its playful attitude, and that it just had two victims in Nie. This isn’t like Toma from Kaimachi at all, now that Sho recalls his previous mission.  
   
Toma from Kaimachi didn’t require a lot of effort on Sho’s part because the very moment Sho set foot on that town, he was able to detect the tracks left by the demon. Toma didn’t bother to hide his movements very well and that led to his immediate banishment.  
   
Sho’s new assignment is too good because usually, when Sho sets foot on a town he can already detect the presence of a demon provided they’re not proficient in hiding. Sho has been in Nie for more than three hours now and he has felt nothing. There’s not even a minimal disturbance in his current surroundings and not even the slightest scent of sulfur from anywhere near him. Sulfur is the trace demons often leave when they visit someone and it can last for days. A deliberate trail left by those not from here, should they choose it. And yet, Sho smelled nothing out of the ordinary when he reached this town.  
   
He suddenly remembers Toma’s last words to him. “One day, you will meet your match,” the demon told Sho that day. He is starting to think that these creatures are capable of being seers too. Sure, there are other demons who are capable of telling the future, but it’s hard to determine since there are those who are only bluffing and showing the things their prey wants to see. Sho doesn’t want to think that someone like Toma, a classified level 8 that took him less than a day to banish, is also a soothsayer.  
   
Sho dispels the idea in his head. It’s only a coincidence, he tells himself. His new assignment is just really skilled at covering its tracks and avoiding detection. Sho thinks it’s highly possible that if the creature is still in this town, it definitely knows that Sho is here and Sho has come for him.  
   
Some game he’s playing with a demon, he thinks. He has to step up his game if he wants to get this done.  
   
“Ohno-san,” Sho says, coaxing the other man from his thoughts. “First thing in the morning, I need you to take me to those two people this incubus has touched. I need you to help me gather information from them because there’s a high probability that they won’t cooperate immediately.”  
   
Ohno just nods. “I have their names and I know where we can find them in town.”  
   
There’s really nothing surprising about that, considering that Ohno is a watcher who passed Nino’s standards. Nino is actually a reliable guild master despite what his image may suggest. He sets high standards for guild members, ensures that he sends the best people for jobs, and he efficiently budgets the guild money to maintain facilities adequately. Of course Sho knows that Nino has more than enough money to reach his great, great grandchildren should he choose to have them, but from time to time it still amazes him to see just how good the people Nino picked are.  
   
Sho nods back in thanks, and he finishes the rest of his meal. He swallows the last of filleted tuna on his plate before saying, “Then let’s track this bastard down. You can tell Nino that we’re moving as soon as daybreak comes. He’d appreciate that.”  
   
Ohno smiles at him, telling him that he’ll make sure to send word to the guild before they retire for the night. Sho thanks the man for his cooperation and his hospitality (a part of Ohno’s job but Ohno’s actually nicer than what Sho expected). Ohno simply waves off his gratitude, telling him to save it when they finally get some progress.  
   
Sho supposes Ohno is right about that. He offers to help Ohno with the dishes and Ohno tells him it’s all right, that he can go back to his divination because the dishes are something Ohno himself can handle. Considering himself excused, Sho bids the man a good night and retires to his room.  
   
\--  
   
Inside the room Sho’s provided with, he lights a candle and carries it with him as he sits on the floor with his legs crossed to again observe the pattern formed by Becky’s salt earlier. It looks the same as he left it, intricate swirls with occasional straight lines. He sets the candle at the center of the sigil and concentrates.  
   
This is where Sho uses one of the hunter’s tricks that has a sixty percent success rate: the attempt at a channel opening. It’s similar to the link Becky established with the demon way back in the guild headquarters, though not as stable as that should this attempt works. Still, if the demon lets him through, Sho thinks he only needs a second to detect its current location, provided it lets him through that deep.  
   
Sho watches how the flickering candlelight he has his eyes on from the beginning cease its movement for a fraction of a second, and he holds his breath because he knows he’s in. The incubus obviously felt his prodding and it surprisingly let him through. Sho focuses on concentrating harder because this is his first encounter with his assignment. It can make the mission easier for him in the long run or jeopardize it to the point of eventual failure.  
   
He maps the fragile link as he feels a sudden drop in temperature, and he feels as if someone’s eyes are on him at this moment. Sho realizes it’s the demon feeling through the link as well, mapping out Sho’s defenses and gauging his skill. Sho can detect minimal threat from the link; the demon is simply observing him, not taunting him or threatening him or making him go away.  
   
Sho feels a sudden wave of combined amusement and satisfaction before the candlelight goes out, blanketing the room in total darkness and he curses. The demon just barred the link shut, but it did that only after it let Sho know how it feels.  
   
Sho had more than a second of an open channel with his target and yet he had no information aside from it being infinitely curious about Sho’s capabilities as a hunter, and the fact that it seemed satisfied that someone from the Lotus finally went after it.  
   
Becky had the demon talk to her because Becky’s link to it was far more stable than what Sho just attempted to establish. Sho admits that the channel he created only moments ago was weak, too fragile to be maintained even for thirty seconds, but he’s still feeling frustrated because he didn’t get to find out where the demon is currently located. He does know it’s somewhere close by though, because his link was designed for small ranges and the fact that Sho just had his first encounter with his mission means that it still hasn’t left Nie.  
   
A week and five days it remained in Nie and waited. Sho thinks he now understands the wave of satisfaction the demon sent his way earlier. It was waiting for Sho. It was waiting since the last time it let Becky through. Nino was right then. It was dragging them out. It wanted someone from the Lotus to attempt to banish it and just now Sho has proven that it’s feeling satisfied that he finally arrived.  
   
The demon probably decided to add a victim count of two to its name because it was waiting for such a long time and it got bored.  
   
Sho reaches for the candle and sets it on the bedside table before lighting it again. His legs feel slightly wobbly, and he wants nothing more than to crash and bury himself in the fluffy pillows. An established link saps a hunter’s strength, and if the demon is stronger than what the hunter has prepared him or herself for, it can result to a loss of consciousness. Still, Sho’s skilled enough that he only feels exhausted after the encounter when any other hunter would definitely have collapsed.  
   
He tucks himself underneath the covers, adjusting to a position he’s guaranteed to have a good rest in, for tomorrow is going to be a long day. Just before Sho loses himself in the tendrils of sleep, his tired mind feels the link from earlier opening up a little, as if someone’s peering through the small gap, and when his sleep-addled brain tries to reach for it, the link seals itself shut once more. Sho tries to stay awake after feeling that, but his body is already claiming its much-needed rest.  
   
If the link opens up again, Sho is already in deep slumber to notice anything.  
   
\--  
   
He wakes up feeling well-rested and rejuvenated, dashes of sunlight peeking through the drapes of old wool and leaving dust motes in the air. Outside, he can hear the town of Nie slowly springing to life, the sounds of labor combined with muted conversation filling his ears. Sho stretches his limbs, his joints cracking and tendons popping. When Sho inhales deeply, that’s when he smells it.  
   
Sulfur.  
   
He sits up immediately, the action making his eyesight black out for a moment and he cradles his head to soothe the sudden feeling of queasiness. The scent of sulfur is faint, very faint to catch unless one possesses a sharp olfactory sense. Someone like any demon hunter in a similar class as Sho’s, in short. But it’s there, Sho can catch a tiny hint of it in his surroundings and once the queasiness left him, he immediately gets off the bed to examine the covers and the rest of the sheets.  
   
If the incubus he’s hunting has lain with him during the night, the sheets are more than enough to serve as the proof of such an encounter.  
   
Sho spreads his hands across the sheets, feeling the tiny wisps of cotton under his fingertips. Nothing looks and feels out of ordinary, the bed is warm because Sho was just lying on it a few moments ago, the pillows remain dented with the shape of Sho’s head.  
   
His hand immediately flies to his neck, cautiously touching the skin for any bite marks left, another surefire way to prove an encounter. Incubi and succubi feed on their victims’ energies by sucking at the pulse point in their necks during the act, and if Sho has two unmistakable dots on his neck, he’s screwed and Nino will have his head, surely.  
   
Sho’s inspection will be a whole lot easier if a mirror exists, but mirrors are tricky things and some demons are known to cross dimensions using such materials. Sho’s not risking having one nearby as he sleeps. Who knows what kind of demon a mirror might bring? Sho’s already got his hands full.  
   
Feeling nothing unusual, Sho finally breathes a sigh of relief. Satisfied that he has not screwed up for Nino to leave the headquarters at Tenjin and follow him here, he moves to the dresser at the foot of the bed. He grabs the small pouch of Becky’s salt. At this point Sho is only sure of one thing: the incubus was here last night. It went to Sho’s room in its true form and left with nothing but a trace that remained only in the fleeting realm of scent. What Sho needs to find out is where exactly did it remain in his room. He needs to know if it has taken anything from him, if any of the items he brought with him have been disturbed because that would mean that the incubus has examined the enemy territory thoroughly.  
   
That would mean that it’s preparing for him and naturally, Sho doesn’t want that. He needs to have the element of surprise on his side because that’s what makes most banishments successful. He’s going to have a tough time with this assignment if his target knows what to expect.  
   
Sho pinches a minute amount of the salt before flicking his fingers and letting the crystalline particles disperse in the air. He watches as the small grains swim with the dust motes before drifting towards the bed. Sho’s heart is hammering, because if the salt settles somewhere in his bed, that would mean that the demon has lain by his side last night and he did not feel a thing. That would mean that this incubus he’s hunting is far more adept at escaping detection that what he originally perceived.  
   
The grains of salt move to the bedside table where he perched the candle from last night, and that’s when Sho notices that the candle did not go out because all of its wax melted and it eventually swallowed the wick, no. The candle went out last night because somebody blew on it, and that somebody wasn’t him because Sho distinctly remembers leaving the fire flickering.  
   
True enough, the salt particles finally settle on the floorboards right before the bedside table, leaving a sigil Sho will now imprint on his mind. He curses inwardly. The demon went to his room last night, probably leaned its weight against his bedside table and observed him to its satisfaction, before blowing his candle out.  
   
And he didn’t feel a thing, too tired from the journey and from the link last night.  
   
He wrenches his bedroom door open, looking for the guild house’s other occupant. He finds Ohno Satoshi flipping pancakes in the kitchen, and the man looks at him with bleary eyes before greeting him a good morning. Sho mumbles the greeting back hurriedly, before going to where Ohno is standing and saying, “I need you to send word to the headquarters right now.”  
   
Ohno blinks twice at him before his expression shifts to seriousness. He turns the stove off and faces Sho, giving Sho all of his attention. “What happened?”  
   
“He was here,” Sho says through gritted teeth.  
   
Ohno’s eyes narrow for a moment, then they widen in understanding. “How—?” he tries, but Sho cuts him off with an “I have no idea and I didn’t feel him arrive nor leave, but he was here last night and he watched me as I slept.”  
   
Ohno looks thoughtful for a moment. “Has that ever happened before?” he asks Sho as he turns the stove back on and resumes with flipping his pancakes with ease. “Their kind watching you like that, I mean.”  
   
“No,” Sho says, his mind already doing the recalling. “The worst taunting I ever experienced from a demon was a whisper in my ear, and he did that while I was trying to subdue him for good.” His previous level 0 from Kangiten, the incubus named Junichi, taunted him with imaginative suggestions and sweet promises, so tempting that Sho almost gave in but in the end he managed to banish that one for good.  
   
The point is, Sho’s assignment now just taunted him as if it wants to play with him. That has never happened before. None of them ever tried visiting him in his sleep before, only for them to do nothing but watch him. Some of the demons Sho banished back to limbo did visit him in his sleep, but they tried to sexually stimulate him in order to weaken him drastically, and he had resisted. He woke up in time to fight them off and not let them sap his strength.  
   
This one is different because it simply watched him and did nothing else aside from ensuring that he can still use last night’s candle for tonight, that is. Sho would definitely feel if it tried to touch him, if it tried to tap through his unconsciousness and manipulate his dreams. Sho’s more than trained to feel those things, and he trained himself to be always on the lookout for such things given the nature of his job.  
   
What appalls Sho about all of this is that this incubus he’s hunting could’ve done all of those but it still didn’t. It knows how the link Sho established with it weakened Sho to the point his body screamed for nothing but rest, and yet it did not try to harm Sho in any way. It obviously knows that Sho is here to attempt to banish it, and from Sho’s experience a demon’s first reaction to that is to try to get the upper hand by using its allure against the hunter seeking to end it.  
   
Seeing as this one did not even use one of those, Sho’s left bewildered.  
   
“That’s strange,” Ohno says, his voice successfully coaxing Sho from his thoughts. Sho knows that Ohno is thinking of the same things and that he’s wondering of the same things as much as Sho is. Ohno turns to him with a weird look on his face before he orders with seriousness, “Take off your clothes, Sho-kun.”  
   
Sho’s eyes widen at that, his jaw dropping. “What? No!”  
   
Ohno simply tilts his head at him before flipping a pancake without looking. How he did that, Sho doesn’t know. “We need to find out if it had its way with you and the only way for us to be sure about that is to check if it has marked you in any way,” Ohno says conversationally, as if he didn’t just ask Sho to strip in the middle of the kitchen.  
   
Sho glares at the watcher. “I checked the sheets before I left my room! And my neck’s clean!” he exclaims, but Ohno just shoots him a patient look, and for a few seconds Sho finds himself locked in a staring game with a guild member that he obviously outranks.  
   
“He could’ve simply marked you and chosen not to feed,” Ohno says, and Sho knows he’s got a point because Sho himself has heard of those things happening before. The demons do that when they feel particularly mischievous and have just fed off somebody else but still want to play. They visit someone, have their way with them, mark them but not feed because they have no need to. That kind of thing isn’t unheard of and Ohno obviously has heard of such a phenomenon before.  
   
Ohno obviously has no plans of budging because he’s just looking at Sho with a blank and bored expression. Sho sighs in defeat, his hands already grabbing the hem of his tunic.  
   
“Don’t you dare tell Nino about this part,” he warns, and Ohno just nods before turning off the stove again and turning to him with his arms crossed over his chest, his weight leaning against the counter of the kitchen.  
   
Sho pulls the tunic over his head, shivering at the sudden loss of it. He spreads his arms and Ohno moves to circle him, silently examining him. Sho keeps his eyes on the ceiling, trying not to squirm as he feels Ohno’s forefinger tap on his elbows for him to raise them higher so Ohno can examine the skin on the undersides of his arms.  
   
Sho shoots the man an accusatory look after a few agonizing moments, and when he makes a move to get his tunic back on, Ohno stops him with a “We haven’t checked your lower half yet, Sho-kun.”  
   
Sho wants to die. He honestly didn’t think he’ll spend the first morning in Nie stripping in front of a guild member he only met yesterday. His dignity and pride as the vice guild master of the Lotus will be practically nonexistent after this. Not that Sho hasn’t done this before, but Nino was the last person who made him do this and that was three years ago. He just met Ohno, and he clearly outranks him. Sure, Ohno is capable of making a decent meal, Sho will even say Ohno’s a good cook, but Sho doesn’t willingly strip just because the food is good. He has some standards, thank you very much.  
   
But Sho also knows that this is protocol and if he’s got nothing to hide then there’s probably nothing he ought to be ashamed of.  
   
Except stripping for breakfast, that is.  
   
Ohno simply waits for him to move, and Sho directs his most murderous glare on the man before pulling at the drawstrings of his trousers and sending the material to the floor. He simply lets them pool around his ankles as he continues glaring at Ohno, who moves to circle him again. Ohno pokes at his knees in a silent request for Sho to spread his legs wider, and Sho shoots the man a look of hate before obliging.  
   
“Satisfied?” he asks Ohno when the man finally moves to stand in front of him.  
   
Ohno opens his mouth to say something, but Sho sees the way Ohno is looking at his underpants so he immediately insists, “There’s nothing on my ass!”  
   
It’s then that Ohno smiles at him and Sho finally sees how amused the man is with this entire development. If Nino ever learns of this, Sho thinks he’ll spend the rest of the days of his retirement getting reminded that he stripped for breakfast at one point in his career. Nino will definitely do that and Sho knows it as well as he knows his own name.  
   
“We don’t know about that, Sho-kun,” Ohno says with a small laugh, and before Sho can say anything, he continues, “this is protocol, anyway.”  
   
Sho really wants to die. He remembers Becky calling the incubus playful. If it’s idea of fun is to taunt Sho to make him stand in the kitchen completely nude, Sho decides that his soul will not find justice until he sends the bastard back to its hellhole. Sho vows he’ll use his strongest banishment spell to ensure that it won’t ever have the chance to depart limbo even after the death of his bloodline. It will be done for the sake of restoring his severely wounded ego.  
   
He shoots Ohno a look. “Aren’t you embarrassed by this, anyway?”  
   
Ohno just shrugs. “I’m not the one stripping,” he points out, and just great. Sho thinks he can die at this moment or maybe he can kill Ohno. He’ll settle for either of the two and consider himself avenged if he gets to do one of those.  
   
Ohno moves back to the stove, placing the pancakes on porcelain plates. They smell heavenly, and Sho wants nothing more than to finish this unprecedented check up and stuff himself. He has a long day, after all. He has to search for the two known victims of the incubus he’s currently after.  
   
The very same one that put him in his current predicament.  
   
Ohno sets the plates on the dining table before walking back to where Sho remains standing, clad only in his underpants. Ohno simply tilts his head at Sho, and Sho seethes. “I’m never going to forget this, you hear me?” he tells Ohno, who just laughs.  
   
Sho hooks his thumbs on the waistband of his underpants and removes them, sending the cotton garment to the floor to let it join his trousers. He focuses on the pancakes he can see on the dining table as Ohno circles him, and just when Sho thought his shame is finally over, Ohno pokes him on the hip.  
   
“You have to spread your legs wider, Sho-kun,” he says, and the tone he uses is so calm and conversational that Sho hates him. Clearly, Sho’s the only one getting worked up over this. He thinks that if the demon can see him right now, it’s probably laughing at him in the same way Nino would if Nino was here.  
   
Thank the gods Nino isn’t here, he suddenly thinks as he does what Ohno told him.  
   
Ohno moves to stand in front of Sho again, his head nodding. “Okay, you’re clean. He didn’t do anything.”  
   
Sho picks up his clothes along with the rest of his dignity and hurriedly puts them back on. “As I’ve told you!” he exclaims, and Ohno shrugs his shoulders.  
   
“Breakfast is ready,” is what Ohno says next, as if Sho hadn’t seen him prepare it, as if Sho didn’t just show the entirety of his naked body to Ohno in the middle of the kitchen. Sho doesn’t know whether to feel glad or mildly offended about that. He watches as Ohno moves to sit in one of the chairs in the dining table, already starting to eat without waiting for him.  
   
Sho follows him not long after, when he has determined that he has regained enough pride to join the man on the table. They eat in silence, Sho relishing the fluffy texture of the pancakes and the sweetness of the honey Ohno provided him with, Ohno spacing out as he eats his own share.  
   
When they’re both done, Ohno tells him to prepare himself since they do have people to talk to, and Sho watches how the man moves to take care of the dishes. When Sho excuses himself for a bath, Ohno simply nods before telling him he’ll send word to Nino as soon as he’s done with washing the plates.  
   
Sho panics at that. “Don’t you go and tell Nino about what I did in the kitchen,” he says as a reminder, and Ohno chuckles.  
   
“Not unless he asks. He’s still my boss, as you know.”  
   
Technically, I’m your boss too, Sho wants to say, but he doesn’t because he knows it will do nothing but inflict further damage to his already suffering ego, and he can only endure so much humiliation in a single day. He proceeds to the bathroom without another word, stomping his feet as a temperamental child would and he hears Ohno laughing a little at his antics.  
   
\--  
   
Ohno first takes him to a seamstress, her shop located near the edge of the town and a bit close to the mountains. There’s a faint trace of sulfur in the air when Sho takes a moment to examine the surroundings. The shop is closed, but Ohno apparently already knows the woman and she lets them in when she sees Ohno’s face peering through her windows.  
   
When Sho asks how Ohno knew the woman, Ohno simply shrugs and says that he knows everyone in town because it’s part of his job. Sho finds no flaw in that reasoning so he doesn’t pry anymore. He supposes the seamstress also knows what they’re here for because the guild’s fame stretches probably as far as Sho’s name does, and having a guild house in Nie only contributes to that.  
   
She offers them tea as they sit in her workshop, rolls of silk, satin, and cotton in different hues surrounding them. To Sho’s left, he sees an unfinished dress on a mannequin, a long, pink string made of satin still attached to the spinning wheel beside it. To his right are even more rolls of fabric, making the shop appear too small and congested.  
   
Sho focuses to the woman and clears his throat. Time for business, then. He is more or less used to beginning embarrassing conversations like this given the nature of his job, and Sho supposes nothing can humiliate him further this day given that he already shed a majority of his dignity in front the man currently sitting on his right.  
   
“I’m a demon hunter from the Lotus,” has always been his favorite method of introducing himself, so he goes with that, knowing that their guild name is known for proficiency in demon banishment.  
   
The woman doesn’t even blink. “I know.”  
   
Well, Sho honestly expected a colder way of brushing it off. He expected to have a tough time to breach the topic because that’s how these things go ever since he began this career. Sho can only imagine how it feels like to talk about your sexual experience with a demon to a complete stranger. Considering the nature of these experiences, they’re definitely more sexually stimulating than the average lay, since the demon caters to its chosen prey’s wildest fantasies to harness more energy.  
   
Basically, the more libidinous, the more energy.  
   
Ohno places a hand on his arm, a gesture for him to let Ohno handle this. Sho obliges, leaning back against his chair, and Ohno clears his throat before looking at the woman sympathetically.  
   
“Ishihara-san,” Ohno begins, and the woman’s expression shifts. She gave Sho a look of distrust that almost borders on hate, but she looks at Ohno as if they’re very old friends. Sho’s suddenly glad he has Ohno for this because he wouldn’t have gotten anything immediately from Ishihara from the looks of things earlier.  
   
“You know what we’re for,” Ohno tells her, and the woman nods. “You don’t have to tell us anything you aren’t comfortable with. Just tell us how he appeared to you, how he looked like, and how he left,” Ohno pauses, giving the woman a look of understanding. “Can you do that for us?”  
   
Ishihara takes a deep breath, her eyes fluttering shut. Sho takes that as an opportunity to nod in thanks at Ohno, who waves it off with a small shake of his head.  
   
When Ishihara opens her eyes, she’s looking at the space between Sho and Ohno. “He came in the night,” she begins, “when I was finishing the dress for the chancellor of the mayor.” She gestures to the dress Sho had his eyes on earlier with a tiny wave of her hand.  
   
“Needless to say, I never finished that one,” Ishihara continues, and for a moment Sho meets her eyes. He can see how hard this is for her. Sho doesn’t need to ask Ohno to know that the entire town has heard of what happened to her, and judging from her closed shop, Sho knows she wants nothing but to left alone.  
   
And now Sho’s here to disrupt that wish for solitude. He feels guilty.  
   
Ishihara blinks slowly at him, her lips pressed to a tight line. She’s attractive, now that Sho looks at her. Sho supposes that’s the very reason the incubus went to her. Demons have a curious way of picking people to prey upon, but every victim of theirs must have attracted them in one point or another. Sho has heard of incubi and succubi playing favorites, continuously feeding off the energy of one person over and over again, and those repeat victims he managed to meet are the very attractive ones.  
   
Meaning, there is something about this woman that the incubus was attracted to.  
   
“He looked as normal as any person in this town,” Ishihara continues as she shuts her eyes, obviously unable to look at anyone anymore. Sho understands that because this is the part where she will reveal what is attractive to her. After all, demons only take the forms of what is sexually attractive to their victims. “But he had eyes that were the color of copper, a silver tongue that knew what I wanted inside and out. He was, as you hunters and watchers would probably say, devastatingly alluring to the point I couldn’t—”  
   
She stops at that, her head bowing. Her hand moves to tap at her right scapula, and Sho straightens at the same time with Ohno. That’s where he marked her, then. Ishihara moves her long hair aside and tilts her head to expose her neck, and sure enough there are two tiny dots there indicating that the incubus fed off her energy. She refuses to look at either Sho or Ohno, and Sho understands.  
   
“I didn’t see his true form, if that’s what you want to know,” she tells them as she arranges her hair to cover the marks again. “That’s what you’re after, right? If I saw his true form or even gave me his name?”  
   
Sho nods, unable to deny anything. He had demons who gave their names to their victims, and those were the ones who played favorites. Needless to say, those were also the easiest to banish because Sho didn’t have to go through asking them personally. He simply had to trap those and perform a banishment spell, and with that the job was done and he had gold in his pocket.  
   
Names, after all, have always been the most powerful things a hunter can use against a demon.  
   
Sho knows it’s impossible that his new assignment gave its name, but it was still worth a shot. Its victim count is now close to two hundred. The more people to add to its victim tally, the stronger it gets. He needs to move faster if he wants to prevent that from happening.  
   
Besides, the faster he can get this job done, the higher the reward. The four point five offer is only the minimum, after all. He supposes he can send Nino to negotiate for the price on his behalf. He’ll be undoubtedly too tired to do anything else after this mission is over.  
   
Ishihara finally looks at them, an expression of defeat abundant in her features, her mouth no longer pressed in a tight line. It’s then that Sho realizes the extent of Ishihara’s attractiveness, the way her full lips add on to her charm. Sho honestly wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the quality in her that the incubus was attracted to.  
   
“Well, he did none of the sort. He didn’t give me a name,” Ishihara finishes, and Sho takes that as their cue to leave. He thanks the woman for her cooperation, for the tea he barely touched, before standing up and heading for the door. When he turns, he sees Ohno putting a reassuring hand on the woman’s arm, and Sho sees himself out to give them some privacy.  
   
When Ohno finally joins him outside, Sho gives him a questioning look. Technically it’s none of his business, but he can’t forget this morning so if Ohno doesn’t spill, Sho is more than ready to pull rank on him.  
   
Sometimes, he likes being vice guild master.  
   
Ohno simply shrugs. “I may have a thing,” is all he says to Sho, and Sho smirks. He can’t blame Ohno, Ishihara is attractive. And Sho supposes Ohno is one of the very few people who still talk to her in this town because if her encounter is known by everyone in Nie, it’s only expected that there are those who will stay away from her.  
   
Touched by a demon, they often call it. Most people consider it like a plague despite being practically harmless. Most people also lack understanding and sufficient knowledge on the ways of demonology so Sho can’t fault them for acting that way. That doesn’t mean it sits well with him though. He always thought that it’s nothing but unfair when people treat those who fell to a demon’s charms differently just because, which is why he tries his best to send them back to limbo as soon as he can.  
   
“Okay,” Sho says to Ohno. He doesn’t pry anymore because it really is none of his business, but he does want to know if something develops over time. He decides to make Ohno send word to him every now and then once Sho’s back in Tenjin and this mission is done. He figures it’s the least Ohno can do because for one, he is his other boss aside from Nino, and two, he is the man Ohno asked nonchalantly to strip in the middle of the kitchen of the guild house.  
   
It’s only fair, Sho reasons.  
   
Ohno doesn’t say anything at first when Sho tells him about it, but then the man is sighing before a small “all right,” leaves his lips, and Sho pats the man on the back in a gesture of goodwill.  
   
“Now,” Sho says, already walking ahead of Ohno, “let’s go to the second one,” and he walks through the already busy town of Nie with a smile on his face. Perhaps he had just made a new friend in this far northern town in the form of Ohno Satoshi.  
   
\--  
   
They reach the other side of Nie, the one close to the town hall and the marketplace. The air is filled with the strong scent of spices as well as the scent of freshly caught fish. Being close to the mountains, Nie mostly relies on the nearby mountain lakes for food. Poultry and meat are things the townsfolk acquire from the west of the town, where most of the barns can be found. Ishihara’s shop is located at the edge of north where most shops dedicated to satisfying the physical appearance can be found.  
   
Here, in the south of the town and surrounded by the strong scents of black pepper and coriander, is where Sho meets his assignment’s second victim, a woman named Ueto. She’s sitting on a stall selling spices and herbs and something that looks like a storage room can be seen behind her back. She looks younger than either Sho or Ohno, but unlike Ishihara, she isn’t cooped up in a shop of her own.  
   
Instead, Sho finds her grinding paprika using a huge mortar and pestle, and when Ohno approaches her, she waves the pestle so menacingly that Sho thought she would chuck the marble at their heads.  
   
“You came here again!” she accuses Ohno, and Ohno merely scratches his head. “And guess what, you brought someone with you! What, you’re both here for my encounter with the demon? You know what, don’t tell me. Everybody’s here for that. I’ve become famous for that!”  
   
She says all of this in a rather loud voice that Sho marvels at her lack of embarrassment from it. Clearly, Nie is full of surprises. First one was in the form of a man named Ohno Satoshi who serves as the Lotus’ watcher in this town, and now this, this woman named Ueto who waves her marble pestle like a weapon at both Sho and Ohno.  
   
Sho only knows her name because Ohno told her on the way. Ohno did warn him that this woman is a little different from Ishihara, but Sho is still surprised at her way of handling things.  
   
Ueto rolls her eyes when neither of them speak before going back to grinding, the pestle making clinking sounds against the surfaces of the mortar once in a while. “So you’re the hunter?” she asks without looking at them, and before Sho can open his mouth she continues, “Because obviously Ohno-san isn’t, so yeah, you. Who are you, aside from being the hunter? Anyone I might know from the papers?”  
   
“Sakurai Sho,” is what Sho chooses to go for, knowing that from the looks of things Ueto has no patience for any form of theatrics. He doesn’t want to be object of this woman’s wrath because she reminds Sho of Becky in the same way that Becky cuts to the chase and isn’t afraid to show people what she’s got.  
   
Ueto looks up at him, her eyes obviously appraising him. “You’re Sakurai Sho?” she asks, and when Sho nods, she quirks an eyebrow. “Really? You’re him? You don’t look as skilled and as good as what people and the papers say.”  
   
Wow. That’s certainly one of the most flattering things he ever got on first meeting, Sho thinks bitterly. If Nino was here, he would have laughed. How much more damage must his pride take for an entire day? And what did people expect, anyway? That he possesses a handsome, well-maintained physique befitting the common conception of a hunter? Sorry to disappoint the people then.  
   
Ueto grins at him. “But if you are him, then all right, I’ll tell you. I’ve heard only good things about you so even if you don’t look like someone who did all of those, I see no harm in telling you how it went.” She leans forward a little to peer at Sho’s face. “Did you really banish that one from Kangiten?”  
   
Sho decides to preserve what’s left of his pride so he merely nods. “Took a week.”  
   
Ueto draws back, a smile on her face. “Bet you get tired of people asking you about that,” she says before tilting her head. “Let’s go to the back, shall we? And yes, Ohno-san, you can come too.”  
   
Sho gestures to Ohno with an open palm to proceed ahead of him, and Ohno looks at him a little apologetically before heading inside and Sho follows him. The pungent aroma of different herbs and spices fills his nostrils as soon as he enters the storage area, and from her seat near the back, Sho sees Ueto smirk.  
   
“I’d offer you tea but it looks like you’ve been with the other before you came here, so I won’t bother anymore,” she says and Sho’s eyebrow shoots up at her sharpness.  
   
“You call her ‘the other’?” Ohno confirms and Ueto just shrugs.  
   
“This entire town calls us ‘the touched’. And if I’m the ‘the touched’ number one, I figured it’s safe to refer to her as ‘the other’,” she explains, then she’s leaning to peer at Ohno, similar to what she did to Sho earlier. “Did I offend you with that, Ohno-san?”  
   
Ohno shakes his head. “Not my place to be offended, and you’re merely stating a fact.”  
   
Ueto leans back with a grin. “I never met her, so don’t worry. I’ve never been to that side of the town because I probably smell too strongly for a place like that.” She sniffs at her underarms for effect and Sho thinks, yep. Definitely reminds him of Becky. Becky does this too, something Sho witnessed when Nino claimed that Becky locked herself in her office for three straight days.  
   
She did the same thing Ueto did when Sho barged in her office with Nino for an intervention.  
   
Sho decides to return to the topic at hand. “Can you tell us about how it went?” he asks directly, knowing that someone like Ueto will appreciate that.  
   
The woman just continues smiling. “Well of course he was attractive. I bet you already knew that. He was attractive, had the eyes I’ve always found to be attractive, the right shade of brown if you’re curious, and a really clever tongue,” she pauses to examine their expressions. “Do you want me to elaborate on his tongue, Sakurai-san?” she asks with a grin and Sho shakes his head.  
   
“No need, I can only imagine,” Sho replies, and Ueto laughs.  
   
“All right. He marked me here. It’s kind of pretty actually, I think I’d want it as a body art or something,” she says as she places a hand on her left upper arm. “I think he knew that I always wanted something like a design on this part of my body.”  
   
Sho’s not surprised about that. Demons possess a psychic ability that allows them to easily perceive the desires of humans. Sho doesn’t need to ask to know that his assignment has satisfied Ueto not only in the sexual way.  
   
“And your neck?” Ohno asks before Sho can, and that’s when Ueto’s expression shifts to seriousness.  
   
“That’s the thing. i don’t have anything there,” she says, and she pulls back her hair to expose her throat to them, tilting her head from side to side. True enough, Sho can see nothing on her skin. “Is that normal?” Ueto asks, and Sho shakes his head.  
   
“No, but it’s not unheard of if that’s what you’re wondering about,” he tells her. Ohno then patiently explains to Ueto how such a phenomenon occurs. Sho is once again given a proof that this incubus he’s currently after is extremely playful. He marked both but only fed on one. And seeing as Ishihara wasn’t drained completely, that only means it fed off her just enough for it to be sated.  
   
While demons doing that is not unheard of, it still is unusual. Demons usually feed off someone completely. Sho has been in towns which had victims that were unable to move for days. He met more than one who was close to dying because whoever fed off him or her filled itself to the brim, and that’s one of the usual things Sho has come to expect them to do. Sho wonders now just what kind of assignment he signed up for, considering that last night his target went to his room just to simply observe him and graciously put his light out.  
   
This one isn’t just playful, Sho realizes. This one is very naughty and hard to predict, hard to keep track of. He remembers Becky claiming that it opens the link it has with the witch every now and then only to close it again. Sho knows it’ll do the same for him if he tries to feel through the link he established with it last night, which is something he plans to do tonight.  
   
“Did you get a name?” Sho asks Ueto, and the woman frowns a little to recall before shaking her head.  
   
“No, nothing like that. I asked for it,” she begins, and Sho’s eyes widen because it’s not always he gets to hear an encounter like this, wherein the incubus’ victim asks for its name, “but he told me to call him with any name I wanted, so that’s what I did.”  
   
She narrows her eyes at him and Ohno. “No way in hell I’m telling you what that name was.”  
   
Ohno chuckles at that as Sho simply nods. Ueto doesn’t really need to elaborate on that because Sho’s met a couple of people who told him the same thing. He honestly didn’t expect that the demon will bequeath its true name to Ueto. It’s obviously too sharp and too calculating to do something like that.  
   
He’s only on this second day at Nie and his month-long deadline hasn’t even begun, but Sho can feel that he’ll definitely ask Nino for an extension. The only things he learned this morning (aside from the fact that Ohno Satoshi is a hard man to embarrass) is that his new assignment traveled to different edges of the town and chose two people, only that it didn’t feed on both and seemed simply content to leave its mark.  
   
When Sho looks at Ueto to search for a similarity with Ishihara, anything to make his job easier, that’s when he finally notices that Ueto’s face has the same charm, the same look of kindness whenever she smiles, only that Ueto’s a little spontaneous at times. Sho tilts his head in interest, already noticing a pattern. His demon (he’s now calling it that because to his knowledge he’s the only one after it so far) seems to have a fondness for the mouth. Sho is almost sixty percent sure that if he looks up the rest of its victims, they will have one thing in common regardless of the gender.  
   
Well, that sheds some light. Sho’s always known that demons have preferences, that they don’t just pick random people. They pick someone who interested them at one point or someone they fleetingly got attracted to. Sometimes they feed, sometimes they don’t. They’re a bit unpredictable like that and no matter how strange Sho’s demon is, it’s still not as unpredictable to the point Sho can’t possibly perceive the way it thinks.  
   
“Sakurai-san,” he hears Ueto call his attention and Sho turns to her, his expression quizzical. “It’s true that he looked that way that night because he knew it was what I wanted, isn’t it?” she asks.  
   
Sho nods. “But that’s not how he truly looks like and I’m sure you know that.”  
   
Ueto gives him a small smile, her lips slightly curling. “That makes me wonder how he’s going to look like when he finally meets you,” she says, pointing a finger at him.  
   
Sho rolls his eyes, catching on to the teasing. Ueto seems to enjoy doing that. He decides not to dignify her with a reply, instead looking at Ohno to indicate wordlessly that they should be heading back. Ohno turns to Ueto to thank her for her time, and Ueto simply nods, the smile never leaving her face. Ohno then moves outside, and Sho gives her a nod of acknowledgement before following Ohno out.  
   
He’s almost through the door when he hears Ueto say, “I think you should watch out, Sakurai-san,” and that successfully grabs his attention so he turns back to her, a frown on his face.  
   
Ueto shrugs her shoulders. “I think I know why he picked me, and even if I haven’t met the other, I’ve seen in the papers how his past victims looked like and we all had one thing in common.” She keeps her eyes on Sho before raising both of her eyebrows in an implication that Sho should know what she’s talking about.  
   
Sho straightens at that because he knows what she means. Still, it’s mere speculation. For all Sho knows his demon may be choosing its victims based on another standard. He can’t risk believing in a speculation. It can jeopardize his whole mission if he’s not careful.  
   
He grins at Ueto. “What’s this, Ueto-san? I thought you said I don’t look as good as what people say, as what the papers make it seem? Is it possible you’re taking those words back?”  
   
Ueto laughs before walking towards him and pushing him outside of her storage room. “Fat chance. I’m just calling things as I see,” she says, and Sho tilts his head at her as a passable form of excusing himself before walking towards Ohno who was watching the whole exchange with minimal interest.  
   
“Shall we head back?” Ohno asks him when Sho’s finally standing beside the man. “Or do you want a tour around the town?”  
   
It’s still midday and Sho finds that he owes himself a little reward for all the things he had to go through today, beginning from the moment he woke up.  
   
Sho smiles. “A tour would be nice so I’d know where to go if I need something and I don’t have to bother you anymore. Besides, I think we made enough progress for today.” Sho obviously knows more about his assignment now that he already has an idea or two how to handle it once they head back to the guild house tonight. He’s not looking forward to that though, because the last thing he wants is to tap at the link he has with his assignment, considering how playful it can get.  
   
Ohno hums in agreement before telling Sho to follow him, and Sho spends the rest of his day getting acquainted with Nie and with Ohno Satoshi in equal measure.


	3. Let Me In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of my "happy birthday Sakurai" posting session. Rated M because of certain events so please check the tags.

Over dinner back at the guild house (Ohno prepared salted fish rice for the both of them and Sho was only too happy to stuff himself), Sho discusses his plans with Ohno and asks him to relay them to Nino. Sho plans to tap on the channel he has with his demon for tonight in an attempt to get a glimpse of whatever it’s planning despite how doubtful Sho is that it will let him see that far. Tomorrow he plans to observe Nie and put some enchantments in place: a handful of spells that will alert him should the demon plan to feed off or mark anyone in town, and perhaps to subsequently prevent it from taking off.

That will require a lot of work and concentration and as much as Sho wants Ohno’s company with him, he needs to be alone to ensure maximal spell efficacy, so he doesn’t enlist the man’s help. Ohno simply nods in understanding. Ohno has helped him enough with the tour around town earlier. Sho got to see which places will be suitable to set up traps should he finally get to corner his assignment in this town, which is what he hopes for. The last thing he wants is for it to hop to Yomi or Wado, both of which a day’s travel on foot despite being in opposite directions of the town he’s currently in.  
  
The demon’s two victims in Nie were from the opposite ends of the town, and that’s all the proof Sho needs that it’s careful enough not to make a pattern that Sho can easily pick up. That it was still calculating its moves despite its possible boredom as it waited for Sho’s arrival, ensuring that once Sho finds out about it adding some more to its tally, Sho will still not know where to go and will end up setting spellwork in a lot of places.  
  
The demon obviously knows that will take days to complete if Sho gets really thorough with his enchantments, and Sho is thorough. He has always been. Being that way guarantees a higher percentage of success after all.  
  
Ohno promises to send word to Nino about what Sho’s planning and he tells Sho that he will keep watch for tonight, should the demon choose to visit Sho again. Sho appreciates that, but not before a slightly petulant claim of “I can take care of myself” which Ohno merely hums at.  
  
Ohno meets his eyes before turning to look at the kitchen, then he turns back to Sho with a meaningful glint in his eyes. Sho is obviously not the only one who remembers the kitchen incident (he’s going to call it that now) and he can feel himself reddening so he shrugs and just grumbles, “Fine.”  
  
Sho excuses himself when Ohno stands up to collect the dishes, bidding the watcher a good night and heading for his room. Sho shoots an accusatory look at the candle on his bedside table, knowing that it’s the same thing he’s going to use for tonight and it already betrayed him once.  
  
Not that Sho’s items professed loyalty to him in any way; he just has this tendency to bear a grudge over things that he didn’t expect would happen to him.  
  
He sighs, thinking that he best get this over and done with so he grabs the candle a little forcefully. He walks towards his dresser to grab the pouch of salt and sits crosslegged in front of the bedside table. The closer he is to a place the demon might have touched last night, the higher the chances Sho can tap at the link without using most of his strength.  
  
The demon’s sigil formed by the salt is still on his floor, but Sho makes sure he has Becky’s pouch nearby should he need more, for instances like the demon letting him see where exactly it is in Nie. Following an already fragile link requires a more powerful point of stability.  
  
Meaning, should that happen, Sho definitely needs more salt.  
  
He lights the candle using a box of matches he got from one of the drawers from the dresser (why Ohno puts them there, he has no idea) and sets it at the center of the sigil. Sho takes a deep breath and lets it all take over, his eyes fluttering shut. For a few seconds he can hear nothing but the flickering flame of the candle, accompanied by the night breeze from outside.  
  
Sho pokes repeatedly at the barred, unwavering link. When he’s about to give up and call it a night, in his desperation he sends out a wave of _Let me in_ , despite knowing how futile that is.  
  
It takes a beat, then Sho feels a slight drop in temperature before he gets a wave of an amused laugh and a question of _Why should I?_ which surprises him, but he holds his ground.  
  
The link isn’t fully open, like the demon is just lifting the curtain obscuring its side slightly, just for it to peek at Sho’s side. Like someone peeking out of a keyhole. Still, Sho is surprised that it actually responded to him and if he does this right, this might be his first step to banishing this one for good.  
  
Sho shifts his focus on the slightly opened link and sends _You let yourself in without permission last night_ as calmly as he can manage. The last time he ever had a conversation with a demon, it snarled at him and tried to overpower him by taking over his mind. It didn’t work of course, but Sho still remembers how that felt. He needs to be cautious because it’s never safe to talk to someone from the netherworld, especially if the conversation is happening mostly in his head.  
  
He receives yet another wave of amused laugh before a question of _Have you enjoyed that?_  
  
Sho’s lips involuntarily twitch at that. It’s clearly toying with him. He tries his best to keep his emotions in line because he knows that if he lets out a bit of annoyance, the demon will feel it. The last thing he wants now is to have it laugh at him, not now when it’s the first time Sho gets to experience talking to it and it hasn’t tried to harm him yet.  
  
And to think this is all happening with a link that isn’t even fully open.  
  
Sho braces himself in case the demon decides to open the channel completely. That will sap out his strength rapidly and he needs to be prepared for that because if he blacks out during a contact, there’s a high possibility of the demon crossing to his side of consciousness and taking advantage of him. That’s a common phenomenon especially with the particularly malicious and most sinister of incubi and succubi.  
  
_Why did you come last night?_ is what Sho goes for and he feels the link slightly opening up more, like the door is opened very, very slightly. From the other side Sho can feel genuine interest laced with satisfaction, as if the demon is simply content with having a muted conversation with him.  
  
Sho feels it send a grin towards him. Not a menacing grin that’s designed to make Sho feel threatened but an almost innocent, slightly delighted one.  
  
_I wanted to see you_ , it tells him, and Sho clicks his tongue before he can help it.  
  
He receives a wave of hearty laughter at that before a clarification of _I wanted to see how you looked like._  
  
Deciding to indulge his companion in his head, Sho sends _And how did I look like to you?_ partly because he’s genuinely curious, mostly because he needs to know if the demon is even threatened by his presence. It’s not sending him aggression nor hate and Sho doesn’t know if he should feel offended or delighted by that. His previous assignments called him names in demon tongue before snapping the link, another attempt to weaken his mind and shatter his focus.  
  
This one is having a conversation with him like any human would except that no human can do this. It’s not sending him anything other than amusement and attentiveness and Sho will admit, this is perhaps the strangest thing he has ever experienced from someone of their kind.  
  
Sho feels the link opening up gradually, till he can feel someone looking at him as if there’s someone else in the room and that’s when Sho knows that it’s now safe to open his eyes because the channel is as stable as it can be. He snaps his eyes open and keeps staring at the now-unmoving candle flame, the sounds of his own breath the only thing he can hear.  
  
_How did I look like to you?_ he repeats the question in his mind, and he gets a wave of contemplation that lasts for a beat before a simple reply of _Interesting._  
  
Sho considers that reply for a moment, planning his next move. “Interesting” can have a lot of connotations. Of course Sho is honored that he’s adequate enough to pique his target’s interest; he has had previous assignments who insulted him in ways that put what Ueto did this morning to him to shame. Then again, a part of him remembers Ueto’s warning for him to watch out because he just had the demon admit to him that it finds him interesting, interesting enough for it to pay him a personal visit as he slept. In a way, Sho’s beginning to consider that Ueto may have a point.  
  
He feels it poking at his consciousness, snapping him back to reality. _You have gone silent_ , it sends him, followed by a _I feel as if I ought to inform you that you snored most unattractively last night._  
  
Sho sends a wave of annoyance mixed with slight embarrassment before he can help it, leading to him receiving another laugh. _It’s still rude to watch people as they sleep_ , he tells the demon, and Sho feels its focus shift completely to him as if its eyes are currently fixed on the back of his neck and making the hair on his nape stand.  
  
_Would you have found it far more preferable had I done something else? Would it be preferable for you if I touched you last night?_ it asks as it sends a wave of sultriness and blatant seduction and the overwhelming feeling of desire that Sho can feel his skin heating up. This one is strong and very alluring, indeed. Just a shallow link and it can do so much already, can send so much and let Sho feel it in rushing waves and in succession.  
  
Sho’s beginning to wonder how physically appealing this one is should they finally meet face to face, what kind of form it will undoubtedly shapeshift to to match Sho’s desires.  
  
Sho struggles with his focus, already feeling himself getting drained. With the link fully open it’s only a matter of time before Sho succumbs, and he can’t let that happen without even getting other than the demon’s obvious fascination with him. His jaw hardens in an attempt to hold on and keep focusing as he sends _I would prefer if you’d let me send you back._  
  
He gets a grin sent his way at that, and before Sho can send anything else he receives a _We were having such a great time, yet I do feel that we have talked enough for tonight, Sakurai Sho_ , from the demon, the link already beginning to close up. Sho is a bit surprised by use of his full name and the politeness that came with it but he struggles to keep the link open by focusing intently.  
  
Before the link is completely sealed shut however, Sho receives a sudden, vivid imagery of himself face down on a bed and he sees himself panting and begging with his hands over his head, held down by someone he cannot see. He sees himself writhing in obvious pleasure, the ghost of someone’s hot breath running down his spine and making him arch and moan, then he’s begging, his mouth parted as he gasps. He sees himself fisting at the cotton sheets desperately, his body drawn tight. It’s then that Sho feels heat pooling to his groin, right then as he watches himself getting pleasure in what could possibly be the most perfect way possible from someone he cannot see.  
  
The vision goes away as abruptly as it came and he gets a very amused laugh before a _Good night, Sakurai Sho_ , and with that the link is finally barred shut and it remains unyielding no matter how much Sho tries to reach for it again. The candle in front is now blown out because of the abrupt shutdown, leaving wisps of smoke in the surrounding darkness.  
  
Sho swears when he feels himself immensely aroused by what he just saw. He can feel himself half-hard in his cotton trousers and he curses, knowing full well that this is all part of the demon’s plan. It just gave Sho a sample of how strong its psychic ability is, because it managed to psychically perceive what sexually attracts and pleases Sho despite not being in the same room as him. It managed to give him a very convincing illusion despite their shallow link and that’s certainly something Sho hasn’t experienced before.  
  
He curses again as he stretches his legs, his back already leaning against the side of the bed. Try as he might, he cannot forget what he saw, and his mind keeps on remembering it to the point he has no choice but to take care of himself. He cannot take a cold bath because the guild house only gets its supply of water in the mornings, and Ohno only stocks up enough water to last for a day by paying a visit to the nearby well.  
  
Sho can’t go to the well and draw himself a bath while in this state.  
  
He fumbles at the top of his bedside table for a dishcloth and he tugs at the drawstrings of his trousers in annoyance. He hisses when the cool air touches his heated flesh. He spits on his palm before taking himself in hand, coaxing himself to full hardness by providing the friction he needs. He bites his lip from moaning out loud because the last thing he wants is to alert Ohno, especially now that the man is keeping watch somewhere outside.  
  
Sho lets go of himself to spit on his palm again, then he pumps, flicking his wrist in the way that will surely get him off. His mind repeatedly remembers what the demon showed him, how the Sho in there panted and begged with his face mashed against the cotton sheets, not so different from the ones on Sho’s bed right now, and he bites his lip hard enough to worry the skin and leave it reddened.  
  
He strokes himself firmly, his hips eagerly lifting off the floor to meet his fist, and Sho lets his head fall back against the edge of the mattress, his breath coming out in gasps. He remembers the way the demon talked to him, how it began the conversation innocently before stepping up its game and leaving Sho unprepared. He remembers how it felt when the demon sent him waves of desire and the sweltering heat that accompanied it and he lets out a voiceless moan, his mouth parted and his eyes shut tight.  
  
His hand continues to move, giving him the right amount of brutal friction that he needs to put this all behind him, and he’s close, he can feel himself so close that he hurriedly grabs the dishcloth to wrap it around himself. There’s a moment of stillness and Sho remembers in flashes how he looked like in what the demon showed him, how the Sho in there was writhing helplessly as delicious pleasure coursed through his body, and Sho jerks, spilling hot in his fist and on the cloth. He clamps a hand over his mouth to muffle any moan he may have thought of voicing out, his body tensing and arching off the floor as his heels dig on the floorboards.  
  
When he comes down from his high, he clicks his tongue at the sight of the dishcloth and of himself. Any shame Sho might have felt regarding the fact that he just gave in and pleasured himself while thinking of how he looked like in the vision the demon left him as a parting gift dies away. After all, this is not the first time he has acted upon such temptations, given the nature of his job.  
  
It’s just that this is the first time that Sho ever let something like affect him through an established channel. The other times this happened to him occurred mostly in the dreams he had when he was bordering on consciousness and unconsciousness, half-awake. Those were deliberate, well-constructed fantasies that left Sho wanting more, so much more that he naturally gave in.  
  
This one is different because it was a mental image that wasn’t even fully created, just a dose of what he definitely could have had, had the demon touched him last night. It was a free taste of what it can do to Sho, of what it can do for Sho, and that’s what terrifies him if he’s being honest. For a level 00 Sho expected this kind of manipulation, but what he didn’t expect was the intensity of effect it will leave upon him.  
  
Then again, there’s also the fact that Sho’s been alone for quite a long time. It made sense that he gave in to this because it’s been a while, a good, long while since he has lain with someone else.  
  
Sho’s first actual conversation with his demon started normally and ended up with him unsure of what to do, of the next step to take. He does know he has to be more cautious and far more careful the next time he attempts to poke at the link, but his release from earlier felt so satisfying that for a moment, Sho will admit that he thought that it felt so good to give in. He wonders if what he’s feeling is any different from what the others felt, from what those approximately two hundred people all felt when it shared a bed with them.  
  
He shakes his head to remove the thought in his head. Focus, he reminds himself. This is exactly what the demon wants and he’s falling for it, hook, line, and sinker. He’s better than this, he convinces himself. He can do this, he can banish this one and return to Tenjin as soon as possible, carrying nothing but the news of his success.  
  
Sho tucks himself in and stands up on shaky legs. He picks up the candle and the pouch of salt from the floor, setting them on his bedside table. He approaches the small basin filled with water that’s on his dresser and washes his hands and the dishcloth in it. Ohno left this for him to splash water on his face should he wish it, and yet now he’s using it for other means. He clicks his tongue in annoyance, frustrated with himself, the link that damned him, and the demon responsible for it.  
  
He’s starting to think that volunteering and coming to Nie may have been poor decision-making on his part.  
  
Sho goes to bed still angry with himself, not bothering to relight the candle and leave it on, and he falls asleep thinking that the woman in the marketplace named Ueto might have known exactly what she was talking about.  
  
\--  
  
Sho wakes up determined, and he performs a rudimentary inspection of his surroundings. Satisfied that nothing is awry and that the demon didn’t visit him last night, he heads towards the bathroom to prepare himself.  
  
Ohno has already left for his combined watcher and maintenance duties, but not before fixing Sho a meal using the leftover rice from last night, along with a note of ‘Work hard today,’ written on a small piece of parchment. Beside the plate is a folded map of the town and Sho smiles at the sight of it waiting at the dining table, thanking Ohno in his head for the man’s quick thinking. Sho stuffs himself to his contentment as a preparation for today’s activities.  
  
He takes care of the dishes himself before setting out to put enchantments to the west of the town. The townsfolk there consist mostly of milkmaids and shepherds so no one really paid him any mind. From time to time a stray goat or sheep approaches where he’s setting up his detection spells and small traps, and he calmly shoos them away before going back to his rune work.  
  
Sho made sure he collected the salt that formed the demon’s sigil on his floor this morning. It’ll be the essential part in the spells he’ll cast today, anyway. A grain of that salt left in the lines of the runes he’s patiently drawing on the ground will ensure that if the demon approaches this part of the town, Sho will be alerted to its presence at once.  
  
Provided that the demon intends to partake, that is. That’s the flaw in this spell. It will only ensure detection provided that the demon is on its way to harness energy from an innocent or to fool around with any of the townsfolk and impart a mark upon them. If the demon passes by without doing a thing, nothing will happen unless the demon is in its true form and that’s very unlikely considering how calculating it is.  
  
For all Sho knows his demon might be moving around town right at this moment in a disguise and it could have passed by him and he didn’t feel a thing. For Sho, this is the challenge in handling level 0 and 00 classifications. They can pass right in front of him and he won’t ever feel that they did, won’t even smell the slightest hint of sulfur in the air unless they do it deliberately or they accidentally slip up. The latter rarely happens given the threat classification of such demons.  
  
And seeing as these demons can also shapeshift, Sho is more than eighty percent sure that the demon has seen him out and about and he didn’t even feel its presence in the slightest. It’s not a question of Sho’s proficiency as a hunter because he’s a good and an efficient one at that. Rather, it’s a question of how creative and talented this demon is at obscuring itself and how long can it continue to lull Sho into a false sense of security despite Sho having no plans of dropping his guard especially after last night.  
  
Two consecutive nights it toyed with him and Sho vows that last night will be the last night it can do that. His pride as a hunter of the Lotus depends on it. His pride as a hunter in general depends on it. And seeing as he has a name for himself, he cannot slip up again.  
  
He finishes the long range detection spell and feels himself slightly weakened. He estimates he can set up four more of these spells and get half of the town covered, before he retires and resumes the work tomorrow. He proceeds to set up the same enchantment less than half a mile from where he set up the first, drawing the same runes meticulously and chanting incantations flawlessly from memory. Sho doesn’t need to test these spells to ensure their effectivity; he knows from the way he casted them that they will work perfectly should his demon feel needy.  
  
Once in a while Sho gets curious townsfolk who ask him what he’s doing, and he pauses in his work to explain his task in the easiest way for them to understand. Most of them wish him good luck, some are thankful that he’s here to put an end to the demon, and yet there are some who scoff at him and tell him that he’s only here to make things worse.  
  
Sho can’t fault them for thinking that way so he simply turns back to his work when an elderly woman tells him that the next attack will happen under his name, because he arrived here in Nie and tampered with things that should be left alone. Sho doesn’t agree with her of course, because to him demons belong in limbo and they need to be sent back for crossing dimensions and disrupting the balance, but he doesn’t bother to explain anymore.  
  
He has a spell to finish setting up, anyway. The least he can do is to channel his strength towards something far more worthwhile.  
  
The elderly woman leaves him with an angry huff when Sho didn’t gratify her with a reply, and Sho turns to the direction she went with a smirk. He shakes his head, still appalled at everything she said to him, before resuming with the chanting under his breath.  
  
He takes a bit of the salt he collected this morning and flicks it at the rune shaped like a fork, a letter Y with a third spike at the center. Satisfied that his second spell for the day is stable and working, he gets up from where he’s crouching and wipes his hands on his trousers.  
  
Sho feels tempted to use the rejuvenating tonic Aiba gave him, ‘AWESOME TONIC BY A.M.’ as the witch doctor put it, but he figures he can save it when he finally gets to trapping the demon. Entrapment spells require more energy, and it is expected for a hunter to perform a banishment spell immediately after the demon is trapped, which again requires a lot of energy.  
  
Sho knows he’ll be spent once he finishes this job and during that time, he will probably need Aiba’s tonic to keep him back on track.  
  
Someone coughs behind him and Sho turns, a look of question in his eyes. He sees a woman dressed in clothes that are only fitting for the center of the town, where the town hall and most of the wealthy reside. She approaches Sho carefully, and Sho tries his best to look welcoming and harmless despite his hunter get-up.  
  
The woman doesn’t extend a hand at him but merely tips her fancy hat. “Sakurai Sho-san of the Lotus from Tenjin?” she asks, and Sho nods in confirmation. He has an inkling or two who this woman might be and what kind of job does she have, but he doesn’t voice it out and lets the woman speak.  
  
She gives him an appraising look before introducing herself. “I work as the chancellor for the mayor of Nie. He wishes to speak with you. We didn’t think the Lotus would send you in and we only had word of your arrival this morning. The mayor sends his apologies for not welcoming you personally.”  
  
Sho supposes Nino is the one behind that delay in information relay. He arrived in Nie with two days to spare in his schedule, and Nino only sent word to the officials of his arrival three days later. Sho thinks Nino probably did that to cut him some slack, knowing that Sho won’t appreciate the idea of business relations as soon as he arrived.  
  
Still, that doesn’t mean the mayor has to greet him personally. Sho doesn’t like how his reputation has the tendency to precede him most of the time. It gives people uncharacteristically high expectations of him and adds more pressure on his shoulders.  
  
The woman steps aside before extending a hand, and behind her Sho sees a fancy-looking carriage waiting to take them back in the center of the town. Deciding that he could use a break after tiresome spellwork, Sho accepts.  
  
\--  
  
The woman, who eventually introduces herself as Inoue, remains silent on the rest of the way but she continuously appraises Sho under the brim of her fancy hat. Sho has trained his senses to feel if someone’s watching him, and he can tell that Inoue is doing that even with his eyes closed.  
  
Sho wonders if every woman in this town expected him to be larger than life because of his accomplishments in the demon hunter world. If that’s the case, then he feels entirely unapologetic about disappointing them. He lives a simple life and he’s pretty sure his choice of clothing show that. He feels like a pauper next to Inoue the chancellor, but Sho supposes that’s hardly his fault anymore.  
  
The trip to the town hall is short given the mode of transportation, and Sho wonders if the mayor will kindly lend him a horse or have someone drive for him so he can set up his spells quickly. That could happen really, provided that Sho says the right things.  
  
He supposes he can’t be bad at negotiation. Not as good as Nino of course, but he can’t be utterly hopeless and terrible at it either. He’s merely incapable of asking for a larger sum when he feels it isn’t his due, and that about covers his shortcomings at conducting business.  
  
Inoue leads him inside the town hall, an edifice that’s probably as big as their guild headquarters at Tenjin, before leading him inside a study that’s definitely bigger than Nino’s office. Sho meets the eyes of a man that might have been calculating and intimidating had Sho been another person, but since Sho is the hunter and he’s the one this man needs to eradicate the town’s current predicament, Sho wills himself not to be intimidated.  
  
Inoue excuses herself to probably get some tea, and the man gestures for Sho to take a seat. Sho doesn’t, knowing that he needs for this to be over soon in order for him to get back to business as soon as possible.  
  
The man obviously catches that and he quirks an eyebrow, before extending a hand to Sho. “Welcome to Nie, Sakurai Sho-san of the Lotus,” he says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. Sho takes the offered hand, gripping it tight and shaking it firmly. He wonders if everyone in this town hall will address him in his full name along with the guild’s name.  
  
He hopes not. It sounds too formal and something not befitting him. He never enjoyed anyone seeing him differently just because of his high success rate at demon banishment.  
  
“As you know,” the man continues before letting Sho’s hand go, “I’m Higashiyama, the mayor of Nie. You already know what I intend to discuss with you, don’t you?” Higashiyama looks at him with slightly narrowed eyes and Sho simply tilts his head in agreement.  
  
“The payment method, what else?” Sho asks, already cutting to the chase.  
  
Inoue arrives at that moment, bringing tea, and neither men say anything until she excuses herself. Sho doesn’t bother to touch his tea because he wants to get out of here fast. He’s had enough condescending stares thrown his way. Inoue kept on appraising him as if he was some newly acquired artifact, and Higashiyama looks like he doesn’t have any confidence on Sho’s abilities.  
  
“Four point five was the minimum amount,” Higashiyama says, and Sho frowns.  
  
“Was? So you raised it?”  
  
The mayor simply nods. “It had two victims after that amount was printed. I understand if you weren’t aware of it,” he pauses, and Sho keeps his temper in check. Higashiyama speaks to him as if he doesn’t know a thing at all.  
  
“How much is it now? The minimum reward if I get this?” Sho asks.  
  
Higashiyama meets his eyes without blinking. “All the mayors of the towns this… entity has attacked agreed to a minimum pay of five million gold coins.” Sho definitely raised his eyebrow at ‘entity’ because it surprised him that a man with such intimidating features would be afraid to call it as it is.  
  
But five million. With that amount, the guild automatically gets a minimum guarantee of one point five provided that Nino sticks with the thirty percent. And this is only the minimum, meaning if Sho completes his mission faster than expected, he can ask for a higher price.  
  
And Sho is starting to think that he will because this is one assignment that is already giving him a hard time and it’s only the third day.  
  
Sho meets the mayor’s eyes with the same intensity. “I have a month-long deadline from my guild master,” he informs the mayor before asking, “Is there anyone else going after this job aside from me?”  
  
Higashiyama flashes him a small smile. “You are the third person I had to talk to about this and the last one for now.”  
  
Sho quirks an eyebrow at that. So there are already two more hunters going after Sho’s assignment. Each job posting can only get a maximum of three hunters going after it which is why Nino often claims it’s such a competitive business. He wonders which guilds sent the other two Higashiyama talked to before him. They’re obviously A-class hunters too, but there are a lot of A-class hunters (the Lotus prides itself with having fourteen, fifteen if anyone’s counting the retired Nino) that Sho hasn’t heard of. He knows pretty much every guild out there in Tenjin, but knowledge regarding its proficient members is hard to come by given that Sho is almost always out of Tenjin.  
  
Anymore delay and Sho will find himself locked in a game with players as equally skilled as him. He needs to move fast. Sho knows that it’s highly improbable that the other hunters will use the same methods as he does, but the last thing he would want is to meet someone from another guild and have an unnecessary altercation with that person. That will just cause him delay.  
  
Higashiyama takes a sip from the tea Inoue prepared for him, the porcelain clinking against the saucer when he places it back. “Anything we can do to help make your job easier?” he asks, and it’s an offer, but Sho finds himself unwilling to owe this man any favors because of the condescending looks he got from him and his secretary and Sho simply shakes his head.  
  
“No, but thank you for offering. It was lovely to meet you,” he says, tilting his head in an acceptable form of goodbye. “I’ll see myself out.”  
  
With that, Sho turns, leaving the mayor to his ledgers and afternoon tea. He doesn’t spare Inoue a glance, and he only breathes a sigh of relief once he’s out of the town hall. Sho’s not looking forward to go back to this place. He considers asking Ohno to send for Nino in time so it’s Nino who will handle the negotiations on his behalf. That will ensure high profit for the Lotus as well, considering that Nino will milk Higashiyama and his other mayor friends rather ruthlessly.  
  
Sho pulls out the map of the town he tucked inside one of the pockets of his trousers, unfolding it a little hurriedly. He had already set up detection spells in the west. Seeing as he’s in the center of Nie now, he can pick any of three directions left to set up his enchantments.  
  
Deciding that north will be a good place to resume his work, he treks up the busy streets and winding roads of Nie, the cool breeze from the mountains getting stronger with each step he makes. Sho takes a deep breath, enjoying the refreshing scent of nature flooding his nostrils. The breeze feels rewarding against his skin and he closes his eyes for a moment to savor the sensation of it.  
  
Sho reaches the edge of the town in the north after almost an hour of walking, and he spots Ishihara’s dress shop still closed. Ishihara continues to lock herself up because of the encounter and Sho feels sorry for that despite it not being his fault at all.  
  
But the only thing he can do for Ishihara is to ensure that he will banish the demon and that won’t happen if Sho can’t even detect it. He gets to work, writing runes on the ground and murmuring incantations under his breath, feeling the air cracking in the slightest way as an indication that his spell is almost ready to work. He flicks a minute pinch of salt to a certain rune on the ground and steps back, examining his enchantment for possible holes.  
  
Satisfied that it’s working properly, Sho moves to the other side of the north to set up his fourth spell of the day. He feels himself growing weaker with each incantation he utters, and Sho knows this will be his last spell for today, contrary to his earlier estimate of having at least five spells set up around town.  
  
Then again, he remembers that there are other two hunters in this town, and if Sho hasn’t crossed paths with them yet, that can only mean they’re laying their plans on the side of the town Sho hasn’t paid a visit yet.  
  
Well, he can find out tomorrow, he thinks, as he wraps up his final enchantment for the day. He takes repeated huffs of breath at the completion of it. He wants nothing but to go back to the guild house and rest his fatigued body.  
  
Sho wouldn’t be so tired if he wasn’t using his best, most foolproof spells, but he has to, given the tendency of the demon he’s hunting. He has to use the most trusted detection and entrapment spells a hunter is capable of in order to ensure the possibility of completing this assignment.  
  
He’s honestly not looking forward to tomorrow if he’ll undoubtedly feel this bone-deep exhaustion again. He wonders if Ohno has anything to share over dinner tonight. The man will probably prepare a fish-related meal for him for the third time, since Ohno went to perform his guild house maintaining duties simultaneously with his watcher duties.  
  
Mostly, Sho’s interested if Ohno has heard of the other two hunters Higashiyama told him about. Ohno probably knows the faces of everyone in Nie, and Sho’s certain that if any of those two hunters end up crossing paths with Ohno, the man will know that they’re not from around here just like he did when Sho first arrived in town.  
  
He remembers how Ohno approached him cautiously some three days ago and called him casually. Immediate recognition is one of the skills of watchers, and since Ohno was handpicked by Nino, Sho has no doubts regarding the man’s abilities.  
  
The idea of Ohno Satoshi having something new to tell him when he gets back somehow makes him look forward to dinner (aside from the fact that he’s drained and starving), and Sho heads back to the guild house with a slight spring in his steps.  
  
\--  
  
As Sho expected, Ohno fashions another fish-related dish. Ohno claims it’s supposedly something called fish cakes and that he seasoned it with a few herbs and spices he got from the south of the town. Sho has never tried this dish before, but he supposes it will taste more than fine because Ohno’s cooking is way, way better than his own.  
  
Sho is cutting off a piece of fish cake using his fork when he asks Ohno, “Anyone unusual in town today?”  
  
Ohno chews contemplatively, his eyes fixed on a spot on the ceiling. He swallows before talking. “There is one. He’s a hunter from Stardust, I believe. I think that was their guild crest I saw as his necklace.”  
  
Now that’s a guild Sho heard of. Not as prominent as Code Blue, but from the last time Sho was in Tenjin and had time to spare, which was before he went to Kaimachi, Stardust has been able to handle level 1 and level 2 jobs with unexpected ease. Sho has never heard of any member there handling a zero before though, but that’s probably because zeroes are so rare nowadays.  
  
In fact, before Sho’s new assignment became a classified double zero, it used to be the only zero available in the last five months.  
  
“Only one?” Sho asks Ohno as he stuffs himself with gusto. All the spellwork he had to do today drained him and made him hungry. He thinks Ohno may have prepared for that, considering that the man cooked more than the usual serving for tonight.  
  
Ohno hums, his head tilted. “So far.”  
  
Sho tears another piece of the fish cake on his plate. “Any idea who he might be?”  
  
Ohno shakes his head. “I asked around but nobody knew who he was. Arrived a day later than you, but that was all townspeople could tell me. But I think if I ask Nino he will know who it is.”  
  
Nino will definitely know. Sho thinks there’s hardly anything Nino doesn’t know; his connections stretch far. Whoever Stardust sent here to Nie, Nino definitely knows.  
  
“Please do,” is what Sho tells Ohno because he likes to be prepared. He wants to know who it is he has to compete with, and he’s positive the other two hunters in this town already know that he’s the one the Lotus sent. That appears to be common knowledge in Nie nowadays. Sho supposes it’s his success record that does it for him.  
  
Ohno simply nods. Communication with the guild headquarters is achieved by ceroscopy and every watcher is supposed to be adept at the practice. It’s the primary reason why the guild houses scattered all over the continent do not run out of candles. Candle wax melted and poured into cold water is the primary means to communicate with the guild headquarters.  
  
Becky is usually the one who gets such messages because it’s her who’s most sensitive to anyone trying to communicate, though sometimes it’s Nino who does. It depends on who’s watching the basin at the guild hall. Nino made sure that their guild members are instructed to call the attention of the guild master whenever there’s a ripple forming on the surface. It’s usually him or Becky being called on the accounts of Sho’s frequent absences in the guild.  
  
Sho’s certain Ohno communicates with the guild every night, informing Nino of Sho’s progress as thoroughly and as concise as he can. Sho can only hope Ohno did not share the kitchen incident to Nino or Becky because they usually take such messages in front of everyone else in the guild.  
  
Sho doesn’t want to come back to Tenjin and have every single guild member remind him how he stood naked at the guild house in Nie. He thinks he’ll lose the respect of most of the members at that, and Sho can only imagine how hard that’s going to be for his retirement.  
  
Worse, he’s sure none of the guild members are going to forget that it happened and Nino will definitely remind Sho of it as much as he can given the chance because that’s how Nino is. Never mind if Sho finishes this mission and earns his first level 00 banishment, Nino will never let him forget that he had to strip in front of Ohno Satoshi in order to accomplish that.  
  
Assuming that Nino knows of the incident, of course.  
  
Sho spends the rest of dinner exchanging small talk with Ohno because he doesn’t want to think about the possibilities of Nino rubbing his most recent shame (not counting last night, naturally; no one knows about that except for him anyway) in his face. Ohno tells him nothing else out of the ordinary, though he promises to keep a lookout tomorrow for the other unnamed hunter the mayor told Sho about.  
  
He thanks Ohno for that, and they conclude dinner in same manner they did for the past two nights. Every time though, Sho makes sure he offers to help Ohno with the dishes despite knowing that the man will turn his offer down.  
  
When Sho retires for the night, he doesn’t dare tap on the link he has with the demon because one, he’s too exhausted for anything as elaborate as that, and because two, he’s certain it will toy with him again. Considering how convincing it sounded last night, Sho doesn’t trust he’ll be able to hold himself together since he already spent most of his energy setting up detection enchantments in the north and west of the town.  
  
He’s only on his third night of the mission he volunteered for and yet he’s incredibly fatigued in all those three days.  
  
He expected nothing less of course. It’s a level 00 he’s handling, something on an entirely different spectrum than his previous one. It’s been a long time since Sho’s been able to feel this kind of fatigue. Not even his most recent level 1 job, the one before Toma, was able to make him feel this weary, the sensation stretching to his extremities before expanding to the rest of his body.  
  
Sho’s about to fall asleep when he feels the unmistakable sensation of something poking at the link. In his state of half-consciousness, Sho still manages to feel the channel being disturbed, like someone knocking tentatively at the door.  
  
It’s him. The demon is poking at Sho’s side of the link, featherlight touches that Sho can feel more strongly if he’s more awake. But even if he’s tired and he’s caught in the creeping tendrils of sleep, in his daze he still manages not to send out a wave of exhaustion because the last thing the demon needs to know is that Sho is vulnerable right now.  
  
The downside of having an established channel with a demon is that the hunter or the caster’s side can never be barred shut because it’s designed to receive any form of communication from the other side. Provided that the demon’s side remains open long enough, a hunter can determine its current location with accuracy.  
  
Sho’s too weak to hold another playful conversation for tonight, too fatigued to even open his eyes. His mind and body scream for nothing but sleep, and yet he forces himself to sit up and shift his focus to the link. Without the demon’s sigil and a candle, Sho wonders how long he can hold the open channel before he blacks out.  
  
It pokes at him again, and this time Sho sends a wave that questions what it wants.  
  
He gets something that he can only interpret as _You do not seem too eager to talk to me this time._  
  
Sho curses inwardly because he let the demon pick up that something unusual might be going on at the moment. He should have touched the link before going to bed just to send a message that he’s still as persistent as ever despite in his already fatigued state. To do the opposite of that alerted the demon to something else that might be going on Sho’s side.  
  
It’s so perceptive that Sho begins to wonder if he can successfully banish it back to where it came from and if he actually ended up signing for more than he can handle.  
  
_I was preoccupied_ , is what Sho chooses to send, and he receives a wave of something akin to contemplation. With his mind mostly weary and demanding immediate rest, it’s harder to accurately interpret the sensations and messages it sends his way.  
  
_I know_ , it sends back before letting Sho feels its amusement and Sho’s startled because that can only mean one thing.  
  
Sho sends a question of _Where were you?_ because the demon was definitely around town today, shapeshifting in a form ordinary enough to go unnoticed, and for all Sho knows, it could’ve been anyone he has spoken to.  
  
He receives a rather hearty chuckle. _Not to worry, you have not spoken to me yet._  
  
Yet, it said. That means it has plans of talking to him at one point. Still, that form of reply doesn’t answer his question so Sho repeats it again. _Where were you this morning?_  
  
He knows he may seem a little desperate, but the fact that it saw Sho and he didn’t feel anything is something to get worked up about. He’s bothered by the idea that it could have watched him work all day, simply content with observing him putting his spells to work. Another thing he’s worried about is the fact that it still hasn’t tried to harm him because that is the most unusual behavior for its kind.  
  
Sho gets a feeling he can only interpret as a toothy grin. _Watching_ , it informs him, and Sho, a little frustrated, lets out an angry huff.  
  
_Yes, you seem to be content in doing just that_ , Sho accuses in their link, and he receives something like a smirk in response.  
  
_Would you like me to do more?_ it asks, and Sho’s suddenly swept up with feelings of stifling heat and extreme lust that he has to bite his bottom lip to rein all of it in. He’s thankful he’s too tired for this. Had he been fully alert, he’ll probably be so close to touching himself already.  
  
Before Sho can reply however, the sensual waves stop and replaced with something else he cannot define. It’s a complete reversal from earlier and Sho doesn’t know what to expect so he simply waits.  
  
_Rest_ , is what he gets next, the channel already shutting itself. When Sho tries to reach for the gap in an attempt to stop it from closing, he receives another _Rest, Sakurai Sho_ , completely devoid of any suggestive emotions.  
  
If Sho tries to place it, what he just received sounded more like a request.  
  
When the link finally closes up, Sho collapses on his bed, his eyes already drifting shut. He will wonder about the demon’s abrupt change in behavior come morning. For now he will do as it says because it’s what his body has always wanted ever since he finished wrapping up his fourth detection spell.  
  
Any worry Sho might have over the demon paying him a visit is placated by his knowledge that Ohno is keeping watch for tonight, and with that he lets sleep finally claim him.


	4. Temporary Arrangement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late because I got sick on top of the med life. Anyway. It only took me 30-something thousand words. This is rated T.

Sho wakes with Ohno Satoshi peering over his face and he springs out of bed in panic. Ohno moves away from him smoothly so Sho does not collide with the watcher in any way, but Sho’s heart is in his throat and he’s looking at Ohno with wide eyes, silently begging for an explanation for the somewhat rude awakening.  
   
“There’s talk in the east, close to the edge of the town,” Ohno says calmly, and Sho’s brain is a little sleep-addled so he blinks twice before frowning.  
   
“Did something happen?” Sho asks, already fearing the worst.  
   
Ohno nods ruefully. “They’re saying someone’s been touched again.”  
   
Sho curses. Someone’s been touched means exactly what it sounds like. The demon last night picked a third person from Nie and Sho, having set up his detection spells in the north and the west sides of the town, didn’t feel a thing.  
   
“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” he asks Ohno as he fumbles for his trousers. Sho sleeps with only his tunic and underpants on, and he doesn’t mind Ohno watching him dress seeing as the man already saw everything there was to see on Sho’s first morning in Nie.  
   
“I woke you up as soon as I heard of it,” Ohno explains. He gestures to the curtains drawn in Sho’s room, indicating the outside. “He didn’t feed, if that’s what you want to know. He just marked someone. At least that’s what I’ve heard for now.”  
   
Sho turns back to Ohno with a frown, his fingers hurriedly tying the drawstrings of his trousers. “I spoke to him last night. Or at least, he spoke to me first.”  
   
Ohno appears mildly interested. “Oh? And what did you gather?”  
   
“Nothing. He let me sleep. He told me to rest.”  
   
Ohno’s eyebrows lift at that. “What a strange fellow,” Ohno murmurs, mostly to himself but Sho manages to hear it still, given the silence. Dawn is just breaking; there are still the faint traces of the stars peeking at the top of his curtains. Ohno did wake him up as soon as he knew.  
   
Sho sits back on his bed to lace his boots on. There’s no time for a bath. If the incubus attacked again, regardless whether he fed or not, it’s still an emergency. Sho’s not the only hunter after it now, and he needs to move fast if he wants this one to be part of the Lotus’ growing legacy.  
   
He laces his boots quickly and gathers his knapsack. He didn’t remove anything from it last night, and he turns to Ohno, spreading his arms to indicate that he’s ready to go.  
   
Ohno just nods at him, leading the way out. Before they’re out of the guild house, however, Ohno turns to him to say, “Sorry about the lack of breakfast today, Sho-kun,” and when Sho looks at his companion, he appears to be so genuinely apologetic that Sho smiles.  
   
Sho will be more thankful if Ohno apologized for today’s good morning gesture, but he supposes the fact that they’re going to work without eating anything is a good reason too.  
   
He claps Ohno on the shoulder in a friendly manner. “There’s always dinner.”  
   
Ohno hums in agreement, and together they walk briskly towards the side of the town Ohno indicated. The guild house is located near the town hall, and already there are people clamoring outside the massive building. From the looks of it they seem like people who work for the morning paper, and Sho resolves to pay them no mind as he continues to sprint with Ohno.  
   
When he and Ohno reach a point in the east side of the town, they find a house that has dozens of townsfolk gathered outside. The people of Nie seem keen to gossip and to subsequently condemn, Sho thinks. He watches with a disapproving eye as he hears an elderly woman banging on the doors of the house and asking for a Miyajima-san to come out and show his face, to show proof. Sho is startled when the doors swing open, revealing Miyajima himself, and he looks to Ohno for an explanation.  
   
“A vintner. He’s quite popular for his promiscuity,” Ohno explains, a frown on his face that Sho now mirrors. Ohno is as confused as he is. Sho has always known that the promiscuous ones are the frequent victims, and judging from the pattern he’s now seeing, Miyajima was an impulsive decision for the demon. Something it probably acted on on a whim, when it felt too bored at one point last night.  
   
Still, Sho has this nagging feeling that none of this would have happened if only he wasn’t that exhausted and managed to cover this side of the town with his spells. He swears, kicking at the dirt that accumulated under his boot in frustration. He feels as if he’s beginning to screw up, that he’s setting up everything only to screw up royally.  
   
He turns when someone steps on his right, and braces himself when he catches sight of the familiar gear. Not familiar enough for the townsfolk around them, but enough for anyone in the same business, for anyone else practicing the same profession. He sees Ohno straightening on his other side, catching on as well.  
   
The man currently standing on Sho’s right is another demon hunter.  
   
Ohno leans forward to whisper that “This is not the guy Nino told me about. He’s not Kato from Stardust,” and true enough, Sho sees no guild logo somewhere on the man. Stardust hunters like to wear their guild logo somewhere on their person, considering it as a huge pride to do so. This man has no necklace, and Ohno said that the Stardust hunter wears their guild mark around their neck.  
   
Sho straightens. The other hunter, then.  
   
Miyajima is currently engaged in a rather heated discussion on what the demon has done to him last night, with one lady claiming that he let himself be fed upon. Miyajima denies it, and there’s a resulting verbal war as soon as the word left his lips. Sho supposes that people who don’t have sufficient knowledge on the matter will say what they think and not even bother to discover if any of it is true. He’s now hearing people around them calling Miyajima derogatory names, the kindest of which are anything synonymous to filth.  
   
“He hasn’t been fed upon,” the stranger, the other hunter standing beside Sho says loudly, cutting through the noise, and everybody else turns to him. He smirks knowingly, and Sho narrows his eyes at his confidence. “His neck has no marks, unless I’m becoming blind.”  
   
Well, he’s right about that. Miyajima looks at the man gratefully, and beside Sho, the man turns to everyone else. “Any word on the whereabouts of this being?” he asks, looking around. It’s only then that he meets Sho’s eyes, and he quirks an eyebrow at Sho in response.  
   
“He fled,” Miyajima says, and Sho, along with Ohno and the other hunter, turn to him. “You can tell, can’t you? You’re a hunter.”  
   
Sho is sure Miyajima isn’t talking to him so he says nothing. The stranger beside him nods. “Yes, but not as good as this one, I’m afraid,” he says, tilting his head at Sho. He gives Sho a once over and Sho is slightly embarrassed about his tousled hair and rather haphazard way of dressing up this morning, but in his defense, he rushed here as soon as he heard the news.  
   
“You are Sakurai Sho,” the man beside him says to him, and while it’s said carefully, Sho knows nearly everyone around them heard it, if the subsequent hushed whispers are any indication.  
   
“Yes,” Sho affirms, unsure of what else to say. He turns to Miyajima instead. “You say he fled. How do you know?”  
   
Miyajima leans most of his weight against his door, looking mostly bored. “He said he was bored. When he came last night, that’s what he told me. That he was here to have a last bit of fun. He was particular with the ‘last’ bit of his statement.” Miyajima’s eyes narrow at his direction. “But I guess you can tell if you simply do your hunter thing.”  
   
Sho turns to look at the nearest town exit, about five hundred paces from where Miyajima’s house is. Sho is almost ninety percent certain that Miyajima is telling the truth, for he can smell the lingering scent of sulfur and he’s sure the distinct odor of it will only increase as he goes east. He looks at Ohno, who just nods in understanding. The incubus has finally left Nie, and it’s time for Sho to do the same.  
   
“Go back to the guild house, Ohno-san,” he says, keeping his voice low because the stranger from earlier is still standing beside him. “Prepare the usual stuff. Anything you think I might need, I probably will so trust your instinct. I’ll go back and collect those later.” Sho wants to perform basic detection spells to tell for sure, and to possibly map out the demon’s next move. The incubus is clearly on its way to Yomi, the only town from the east of Nie, further into the northern mountains. Sho lays out instruction after instruction to Ohno, who patiently listens. He tells Ohno to send word to Nino immediately, so Nino can alert their guild watcher posted at Yomi and possibly, warn the town itself. Time isn’t on Sho’s side anymore, and he tells Ohno just as much.  
   
Ohno nods, but he shoots Sho a concerned look. “What about him?” Ohno asks, gesturing to the other hunter standing beside Sho.  
   
“I can handle him. Go.”  
   
Ohno leaves and Sho gives Miyajima a grateful look and a polite nod, excusing himself to walk briskly towards the edge of the town, near the town exit. He realizes he isn’t alone when he hears someone fall into step behind him when he stops in front of the town gates. The other hunter obviously followed him, clearly set on doing what Sho’s thinking of doing himself. The scent of sulfur on this side is overwhelming, and Sho is sure that this isn’t a trap of some kind. This is the demon from last night giving him a clear indication that it’s Sho’s turn to make a move. While the demon didn’t exactly feed last night, he deliberately left a trail for Sho to follow, and the odor is so pungent that it won’t even take a hunter to catch a whiff of it.  
   
It’s luring him, and Sho has no choice but to play along, to follow.  
   
He hears the stranger’s movements shuffling behind him, probably catching on the indication of the overwhelming scent. Sho doesn’t turn around when he addresses the man. “I don’t know your name but you know mine.”  
   
The man shrugs, obviously standing somewhere behind him. “Everybody in this town knows your name. Everybody knows your name from where I came from.”  
   
Sho crouches down, drawing a series of runes on the ground. It’s a very simple detection spell, but it should point the way, confirm his suspicions. “You have a guild in Tenjin, then? You’re not the one from Stardust,” he says as his finger continuously traces symbols on the ground.  
   
He hears the man come closer. “No, I am not from Stardust,” is all he says, and Sho frowns.  
   
“So you’re freelance? Forgive me for my insistence, but you didn’t answer my question,” Sho says as he checks his rune work. He has heard of freelance hunters, those who refuse to give a portion of their earnings to an organization and only take on missions that interest them, never mind the threat classification. They’re rare given their case, and most of them end up getting more than what they’re prepared for, but they’re not uncommon.  
   
Sho hears the stranger hum as he stands, his runes finally finished. Sho assumes his silence is a yes. Sho’s popularity often gets ahead of him, that people tend to withhold information from him because they know who he is and what he does, and how skilled he is at what he does. He’s doing his fellow hunter a favor by performing this spell, but they’re both under time pressure. Guild rivalry hardly matters when their target is busy making its way to the next town and they’re still confirming if that’s what it’s really doing.  
   
“Feel like I should know your name,” Sho says after muttering incantations under his breath. “We’re here for the same purpose, and I don’t think you intend to stick around in this town with the demon finally leaving it.” True enough, they both feel a gust of wind heading towards the east, the only proof Sho needs to know that it’s heading for the town of Yomi.  
   
Sho turns to the man expectantly. The man tilts his head at him before giving him a slight curl of lips.  
   
“Matsumoto,” the man says, stepping forward to offer Sho a hand. Sho raises an eyebrow at the lack of first name because Matsumoto is a common last name. Sho hoped to get his full name to gauge his ability, because he’s sure he has heard of the really skilled ones at least more than once.  
   
He shakes Matsumoto’s hand. “Sakurai Sho, but you already knew that.” Matsumoto keeps the smile on his lips, and it’s only now that Sho notices the marks surrounding the man’s mouth.  
   
Sho pulls away before Matsumoto can catch him staring. Sho never really got a proper look at him when they were in front of Miyajima’s house, but now that he did, Matsumoto possesses a rather recognizable face. It’s not the kind of face Sho would forget if he saw it somewhere before.  
   
“I should be heading back,” Sho says, not aware why he is informing Matsumoto of what he plans to do. He’s sure Matsumoto knows that the demon is heading east and he can get a head start since he seems to have everything he needs on his person. Unlike Sho, he doesn’t have to go back for anything.  
   
There’s quite a distance between him and Matsumoto when he hears the man ask, “Do you know where the well is?” making Sho turn around in confusion.  
   
Matsumoto simply stares at him. “The well. I need to refill my skins,” he says, and Sho opens his mouth before he can help it.  
   
“There’s one near our guild house.” It’s true; Ohno goes there every morning, getting enough water to last him and Sho an entire day. That includes their baths, the cooking, the cleaning Ohno seems to do once in a while. He doesn’t know why he tells Matsumoto about the one near their guild house when there are other wells to find. And now that he meets Matsumoto’s eyes, he’s certain Matsumoto is seeing through his confusion, his doubt over the man’s intentions.  
   
Matsumoto smiles, showing teeth for the first time. He looks amused. “Lead the way, then,” is all he says, gesturing towards Sho with a wave of his hand. Sho does without another word, the sound of Matsumoto’s footsteps behind him the only indication he gets that the man is behind him.  
   
He leaves Matsumoto when they reach the well and rushes inside the guild house, Ohno welcoming him with a “Nino tells me to let you do what you want, and that he’s already taking care of establishing communications with Yomi.”  
   
Sho nods, shrugging off his coat. Outside the window, he can see Matsumoto refilling his skin and taking a drink from it. He turns back to Ohno. “I’m going after it. You told Nino as much, did you?”  
   
Ohno nods, taking his jacket. “Bath, Sho-kun?” Ohno asks, despite knowing the answer. He looks at Sho with a knowing smile.  
   
Sho turns back to the window, seeing Matsumoto capping a water skin shut. “I’m not the only one after it now. I can probably have one when I reach Yomi,” he pauses, giving Ohno a smile. Yomi is a day’s travel from Nie and Sho supposes, with weather this chilly, it makes no difference if he had no time to bathe himself. He can do that when he’s in the same town as his assignment.  
   
“Did you tell Nino about him?” he asks, gesturing to Matsumoto who’s now leaning most of his weight against the well.  
   
“I did,” Ohno says, walking towards one of the chairs to grab a knapsack he dutifully prepared for Sho. “Nino says he must be freelance. He hasn’t heard of any other guild aside from Stardust. What’s his name?”  
   
“Matsumoto,” he says, and Ohno frowns as he hands Sho the knapsack and another pack Sho hasn’t examined yet. “That was all he told me.”  
   
Ohno shrugs his shoulders before gesturing towards the pack in Sho’s hands. “Food for the travel. If you ration it properly it’ll last for two days. I know it only takes a day to reach Yomi, but I had a feeling you’ll have company.”  
   
Sho smiles. “It’s not like there’s a partnership going on,” he says, and Ohno merely raises a skeptical eyebrow. Partnership between hunters rarely happens unless the hunters are under the same guild, but it’s not like Matsumoto has a guild he’s associated with. “He just went here to get water.”  
   
Ohno hands him back his coat, but only after attempting to dust it. “Nino says it might be better to establish one just in case,” Ohno informs him, and Sho considers it.  
   
“Why? He’s worried I won’t make it back, so he wants me to have someone watch my back for him?”  
   
Ohno grins, ushering him outside. “He says it can’t hurt to establish friendly relations from time to time, but he worries, obviously.” Ohno leans forward. “Take care, Sho-kun. Nino asked me to let you do what you want and I’m doing just that. It’s up to you if you want to go with Nino’s suggestions, but you take care.”  
   
Sho nods in understanding, giving Ohno a brief hug. They’ve only been together for a few days, but he can detect genuine concern in Ohno’s voice. Ohno followed his orders without question, preparing everything he needs and informing Nino of everything that’s going on in such a short time. Sho didn’t ask him for food, but he still prepared some for Sho.  
   
Sho is certain that when he leaves Nie, he has made a friend and it’s Ohno Satoshi, the man who kept him waiting in the cold at first meet.  
   
“You take care too,” Sho says when he finally pulls away. “Keep me posted on Ishihara-san?” he asks expectantly, and Ohno laughs a little, his eyes crinkling.  
   
“I’ll do that. Now go get that demon.” Ohno gives him a little shove, and Sho shoots one last look of gratitude at his guildmate and friend, before turning around and heading east, towards the town exit. He sees Matsumoto a few feet away, and from the looks of things, Matsumoto seems to have seen everything that transpired between him and Ohno.  
   
Sho shrugs as he continues to walk briskly. He thought Matsumoto left. The man could have left after refilling his water skins and he would have been way ahead of Sho, but he didn’t. Instead, Matsumoto seemed to have waited for him, and Sho can’t hold the curiosity any longer when Matsumoto falls into step beside him.  
   
“Why did you wait?” he asks, unsure how else to phrase the question so he goes for being blunt.  
   
Matsumoto grins, and Sho manages to see it in his periphery. “Takes a day to reach Yomi,” he says, matching Sho’s pace. “It will be a little lonely without anyone to talk to.”  
   
Sho doesn’t attempt to engage Matsumoto in a conversation after that and they reach the edge of Nie in silence, and it’s only then that Sho turns to Matsumoto. “You won’t get in my way, will you?” he asks, and Matsumoto smirks.  
   
“I can say the same to you.” Matsumoto crosses his arms. “Are you being possessive? Over a job posting?” Sho gets another quirk of an eyebrow, amusement gracing Matsumoto’s rather strong features.  
   
Sho shoots Matsumoto a look. “I am simply ensuring that no one interferes with my methods when I finally corner it,” he says, and Matsumoto frowns at the ‘it’, but he schools his features back to amusement soon enough.  
   
“We just happened to be after the same thing, Sakurai Sho,” Matsumoto tells him, stressing out his name for effect and making Sho’s eyes narrow. Matsumoto extends a hand. “I can promise to stay out of your radar if you get there first, if you can promise me the same.”  
   
Sho stares Matsumoto’s hand, the way a silver ring is wrapped around his middle finger. His eyes follow the skin he sees until he reaches the white of Matsumoto’s wrist, the rest hidden under the man’s shirt. He takes the hand in his own and gives it a firm shake. That’s the second time he has done that upon meeting Matsumoto, but this time they’re shaking hands to acknowledge a truce, an agreement. “You have a deal.”  
   
Matsumoto seems satisfied, pulling away and inclining his head towards the pebbly road that stretches before their eyes, obviously gesturing for Sho to go first. When Sho looks at the man quizzically, Matsumoto smiles.  
   
“You are the professional here,” he says as an explanation, and Sho chooses not to dignify that with a reply and walks on despite his head reasoning that Matsumoto might be a professional too. He takes a step, crossing the town border and finally leaving the town of Nie with a fellow hunter on his heels and a demon they’re both after somewhere ahead of them.  
   
\--  
   
On their way to Yomi, Sho repeatedly tries to poke at the link he has established with the incubus, but the channel has been barred shut, like there’s a wall built between its side and Sho’s, preventing any form of access. His continuous attempts make his head hurt, and he stops for a moment, placing his foot against a rather large boulder to serve as a makeshift table as he rummages for a water skin through the pack Ohno prepared for him.  
   
He looks up when he sees Matsumoto handing him one. “You look like you need it,” is all Matsumoto tells him, the man’s arm outstretched, his fingers wrapped around a water skin. Sho frowns at the kindness thrown his way before waving it off and saying he has his own, pulling it out of the pack just in time, and Matsumoto merely grins in amusement, raising his hands and backing off.  
   
Sho’s aware that Matsumoto watches him as he takes a drink, and Sho deliberately tries not to turn and look at the man. Sho doesn’t know enough about Matsumoto and while he’s fairly certain the man won’t harm him in any way, he still has no idea on what goes through the other hunter’s mind. They crossed paths just this morning and now Matsumoto is Sho’s new traveling companion. Things are progressing rather quickly, and while Sho can blame it on the incubus setting out for another town, the fact that he’s on his way to Yomi with a complete stranger by his side still doesn’t sit well with him.  
   
Matsumoto claimed it will be a lonely journey without anyone to talk to. His methods seem vastly different from Sho’s, because had Sho been alone on his way to the next town, he would have spent that time planning out detection spells and eventual traps while continuously poking at the link he established with the demon. Matsumoto doesn’t seem interested in planning any sort of thing. If anything, he simply looks like he’ll be content to just go with the flow once they reach the next town.  
   
Sho doesn’t know what is it about Matsumoto that makes him skeptical but still mostly curious.  
   
Sho resumes the pace he set earlier, Matsumoto trudging somewhere behind him. They stop once in a while to rest, but they’re close to the mountains so it’s breezy and partly cloudy enough that it isn’t uncomfortable at all to travel on foot. Matsumoto repeatedly tries to engage Sho into conversation as they walk along the dirt path leading to Yomi, but Sho gives him nothing but perfunctory answers. He can hear Matsumoto’s amusement at his antics, and Sho refuses to see it on the man’s face so he doesn’t dare look at his face. Sho doesn’t feel inclined to converse with a complete stranger.  
   
He does have Matsumoto’s name and the knowledge regarding the man’s lack of alliance, but just that. Meanwhile, Matsumoto seems to know everything about him given his reputation, and Sho isn’t comfortable with the idea of having a companion he doesn’t know anything about knowing that it isn’t mutual at all.  
   
Still, he doesn’t want to appear curious, so he doesn’t opt to ask. Once he reaches Yomi, Matsumoto will be out of his life, of this companionship he seems to have formed with Sho. It’s only for a day. Sho knows he’ll be in Yomi by tomorrow at noon provided they only stop once for the night.  
   
Night eventually falls, and he tells Matsumoto that he intends to set up camp somewhere close to the road. Matsumoto simply gives him a gesture that indicates that he lead on, his palms spread before Sho. Sho sets to erect his small tent, something Ohno packed for him, picking a spot that has less rocks so he can rest easy despite the hard ground.  
   
It takes some time, and he only looks around when he’s done, and it’s only then that he sees Matsumoto, carrying firewood in his arms with the sleeves of his tunic rolled up.  
   
“There’s a nearby pool, a hundred paces to the south,” Matsumoto informs him as he places the firewood on the ground. “Has a tiny waterfall. Seems potable and usable.”  
   
Sho gives him a nod in thanks, and Matsumoto laughs. “Will it kill you to say it?” he asks as he stacks twigs on top of another, before fishing out a fire spindle somewhere from the pockets of his trousers.  
   
Sho clears his throat. “Thank you,” he says, and Matsumoto grins as he works on having a fire for them both. He seems particularly skilled with his spindle, having produced an ember in a few minutes. Sho knows he will take longer than Matsumoto had it been his task to do. In fact, he might even go without one had he been alone despite the night growing even colder.  
   
Matsumoto looks at him when more than an ember has formed and they have a fire hissing as it burns through the stacks of twigs. “You’re good with that,” Sho acknowledges, and Matsumoto raises an eyebrow.  
   
“I am better at other things,” Matsumoto claims before standing up and grabbing his tent. He’s as prepared as Sho is, and Sho wonders if being freelance makes him prepared for anything. He supposes so.  
   
Matsumoto turns to him with his rolled-up tent in his hands. His rather pale hands, now that Sho looks at it. His ring glimmers against the light of the fire, drawing Sho’s attention. “You don’t mind if I place this somewhere beside yours, do you?” Matsumoto asks him, gesturing to the tent he’s currently holding.  
   
Sho shakes his head, already taking a seat in front of fire, his food pack from Ohno sitting on his lap. The man lit up a fire for the both of them, collected firewood while Sho busied himself with setting up a tent for himself. Sho has been nothing but cold to Matsumoto, and he feels a bit guilty for doing so.  
   
When Matsumoto comes back and settles himself by the fire, rubbing his palms together and blowing air on them, Sho wordlessly offers a piece of bread Ohno prepared for him. Matsumoto raises an eyebrow, a frequent occurrence between them, and Sho shrugs.  
   
“You did light a fire,” he says as an explanation, and Matsumoto smiles, the illumination from the nearby fire making his features more pronounced. Matsumoto accepts the bread with a grateful nod of his head, and they eat in silence, the sound of embers crackling the only noise they can hear along with chirping of crickets and the slight breeze whistling against the pine trees.  
   
Sho doesn’t know what to say. He was okay with not speaking to Matsumoto provided they’re covering as much as ground as they can, but now that they’re sitting side by side and eating, he doesn’t really know how to break the silence. Sho feels like he should say something, and while he did thank Matsumoto for his efforts earlier, it’s not as if he can talk about anything seeing as he only met the other hunter this morning.  
   
He hears Matsumoto shifting to get a little more comfortable, then he’s asking Sho, “You took down one from the same classification before, didn’t you?”  
   
Sho has his lips wrapped around his water skin, and he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before nodding. “With a partner, three years ago.”  
   
From his periphery he sees Matsumoto turning to him. “And where is that partner now?”  
   
Sho’s a bit surprised. Most hunters heard of Nino’s retirement, given the reputation Nino acquired from his partnership with Sho. But he supposes Matsumoto’s just making small talk and being polite, and Sho finds that he prefers it over the silence stretching awkwardly. “Retired. He’s my guild master now.”  
   
Matsumoto looks amused at the knowledge, both of his eyebrows lifting slightly. “Do you miss it?” he asks, reaching out to grab a twig to stoke the fire. “Having a partner, I mean.”  
   
Sho gives the question a thought. He’s been flying solo for a good long while now and he’s gotten the hang of it. It took a while to adjust to Nino behind a desk with a board full of ads behind his back instead of standing beside him, but he managed it.  
  
He hums. “Sometimes,” he admits. He’s not sure why he’s indulging Matsumoto, but he believes he’s been rude enough. “It’s nice to know someone’s got my back.”  
   
He sees Matsumoto’s eyes narrowing a little. “Only sometimes?”  
   
Sho tilts his head, taking a sip from his water skin. “It’s been years since I went solo. I guess it just takes some time getting used to.”  
   
“You seem like someone who’s handling going solo very well. I’d say you’re more than used to it.”  
   
That makes Sho smile. “I didn’t take away a job from you before, did I?”  
   
Matsumoto’s now twirling the twig between his fingers, a smile on his lips. “Maybe, maybe not. I am not like you, who has a claim over these things once someone sends in your name. I have to show up first to get a little bit of fun.”  
   
Matsumoto pauses, turning to look at him. “For the record, I did show up before you did, back there in Nie.”  
   
Sho rolls his eyes, but he keeps the grin on his face. The only reason why he was the last one Higashiyama met was that Nino made sure to notify the authorities a day later, to give Sho some time to rest. He tells Matsumoto as much, and Matsumoto laughs, a lighthearted sound that seems to ease whatever tension that was between them ever since they left Nie. They talk more, mostly about Sho’s past jobs with Nino, Matsumoto occasionally teasing him as he shares one story after another. Sho misses his days with Nino, and he thinks Matsumoto sees through it, if the look he’s giving Sho means anything. Sho pauses, then he finds himself complaining about Nino sometimes not honoring the 70-30 agreement ever since he became the Lotus’ guild master.  
   
Sho is unable to look away as Matsumoto’s sharp facial features give way to pure, spirited laughter, and he has to collect himself when Matsumoto turns back to him.  
  
“It’s turning late,” Matsumoto says, standing up and offering a hand to help Sho up. Sho accepts, having most of his reservations towards his newfound traveling companion dissipate because of tonight’s conversation. “We should rest.”  
   
Sho nods in agreement, already kicking the dirt under his boot to put the fire out. He doesn’t look at Matsumoto anymore, and when Sho looks up, he sees the man is already making his way to his own tent. Sho does a little sprint to get to his own, the night breeze turning his skin of his forearms to gooseflesh.  
   
He meets Matsumoto’s eyes when he’s about to enter his tent, and Matsumoto bids him a good night without waiting for his answer, already turning in for the night.  
   
Sho is tempted to sleep because of all the walking that he did that made his limbs ache, but he decides to poke at the link once more, thinking he might have better luck. It’s becoming a routine for him, trying to establish communication with his target demon every night.  
   
He’s surprised when he feels it poke him right back and he sits up on his bedroll and immediately concentrates. He isn’t as fatigued as the night before and he knows he can handle a fair bit of communication with it despite the lack of salt and candle. He only uses those to ensure stability anyway, and with Matsumoto in the tent next to his, Sho supposes that the man will hear him cry out should something happen to him.  
   
 _I see you got my message_ , is what Sho gets the very moment the barrier is down, and he closes his eyes to shift his focus.  
   
 _Why Yomi?_ he sends back, knowing that the demon knows Sho’s after him. Sho suspects that the fact he had detection spells set up in the north and west of Nie made the town of Wado an unlikely candidate for the demon, because Wado’s in the west and it would not have gotten a head start had it picked that town. In a way, the demon fleeing to Yomi is Sho’s doing.  
   
He senses amusement through the channel. _I got bored_ , it says, and the way it sends that makes it seem like it’s grinning. _You took a while to get to Nie and yet I waited. I intend to do the same. I will wait for you in Yomi as well._  
   
 _Why draw me out like this?_ Sho asks, trying his best to express his curiosity over the interest the demon has in him. He has an inkling as to why, but he wants to hear it from his assignment himself.  
   
There’s a slight pause before _I wish to play with you, the hunter who sent so many of my kind back home._  
   
Sho can’t help the frown forming on his face. _You and your kind have no place on this plane. It upsets the balance._  
  
He receives a hearty chuckle in reply. _Such nobility_ , he receives, sent with unmistakable mockery. Before Sho can send back a clever retort, he receives a _For both of our sakes I pray that you live up to my expectations. I shall wait for you in Yomi_ , followed by the link being instantly barred shut, making his head flare up in pain. An abrupt closing of a link often gives him a sudden headache, and he fumbles for a water skin nearby, taking a huge gulp.  
   
He lies back on his bedroll with an annoyed huff. At least now he’s sure that it’s somewhere in Yomi because it said so. Sho would rather have it say outright that it’s waiting in someplace only a few hours away from where he is than have it visit his sleeping quarters like it did during his first night at Nie. He would prefer hearing it communicate with him through an established link than have it leave a lingering scent of sulfur for him to detect the moment he wakes up.  
   
Feeling slightly determined because of the knowledge that his assignment is merely lying in wait for him, he sleeps and ends up dreaming of spindles, of crackling embers over shared bread, and of long, lithe fingers sporting a large silver ring.  
   
\--  
   
When Sho wakes, it’s to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight seeping through the flaps of his tent. The rays hit his face and he scrunches his eyes as a reaction to the sudden brightness, slowly moving his limbs to sit up groggily. He wishes he’s still in the guild house so he can splash some water on his face using the basin Ohno dutifully leaves on his dresser every night during his stay, but he suddenly remembers that Matsumoto said that there’s a pool a hundred paces somewhere to their south.  
   
Rummaging slightly through his knapsack for a change of clothes, he manages to pull out a clean white tunic and a pair of trousers, something he marvels at because Ohno was able to include those as well despite him not really asking for it. He asked for his usual hunter effects, but once again Ohno Satoshi surprised him with his diligence and instinct.  
   
Smiling to himself at the thought of their guild watcher in Nie becoming his friend, Sho peers outside, shooting a careful glance at Matsumoto’s side. He has a nagging feeling that his dreams last night somehow revolved around the campfire dinner he shared with the man, and while he doesn’t remember what he dreamt of exactly, there’s a distinct feeling of Matsumoto being there.  
   
Sho can only hope it’s not something of an alarming nature.  
   
He sees Matsumoto dismantling his own tent, and he gives Sho a polite nod of acknowledgement before turning back to his work. Sho steps out and does the same, dismantling his tent in record time because he can feel Matsumoto shooting glances at his every movement. Back in the days of partnership, this was always Sho’s job, to dismantle the tent while Nino only looked on. Nino never really liked getting his hands dirty, leaving all the labor and the tedious stuff for Sho to do.  
   
He finishes rolling up his tent almost at the same time Matsumoto did, and Sho picks up his knapsack, food pack, and tent before walking to the south, informing Matsumoto that he intends to bathe himself first before continuing onward.  
   
Matsumoto doesn’t seem keen to talk to him, but when Sho reaches the pool, he hears the unmistakable sound of Matsumoto’s footsteps behind him. He’s beginning to get used to it, the light sounds of the other hunter’s footsteps following him. The pool is rather small, but it seems refreshing enough given the small waterfall, and Sho figures he won’t get another chance for a luxury such as this once he reaches Yomi, so he’s eager to dive in.  
   
The problem, of course, is that Matsumoto is currently standing somewhere beside him.  
   
Sho clears his throat as he sets his things beside a boulder. Matsumoto has his head tilted to the side, and Sho takes that as a cue for him to proceed. “I plan to bathe,” he says awkwardly, expecting Matsumoto to get the implication of the statement. He wants privacy, and he doesn’t want to explicitly state it.  
   
Matsumoto’s mouth slowly curls to a smile. “You wouldn’t know there’s a pool here if I didn’t tell you,” Matsumoto says, tilting his chin at Sho.  
   
That’s true, but Sho never really shared a bath with anyone other than his guild members.  
   
Okay, other than Nino and Aiba. Nino, because he’s been Sho’s partner for so long and Nino probably knows every bit of his body up to the last beauty mark, and Aiba, because Aiba is the type who just trudges in unannounced while people take their baths. Aiba has walked in on him more than thrice, and Sho never received any apology from the witch doctor in any of those times. He learned a long time ago to never expect any form of apology from Aiba whenever Aiba intrudes on bath time.  
   
Sho’s eyes widen when Matsumoto begins stripping unceremoniously before him, first taking off his hunter vest and draping it over a nearby rock, followed by his tunic, and Sho turns around by then, but he did get more than a flash of the flat planes of Matsumoto’s abdomen before he managed to do so.  
   
Sho’s certain his cheeks are heating up and he tenses when he hears Matsumoto’s soft chuckle somewhere behind him. “You’re not the only one who needs to get clean, you know.” Sho hears a splash of water, indicating that Matsumoto has finally entered the pool, and when Sho turns around, he sees Matsumoto’s half-submerged back from the center of the pool.  
   
Matsumoto is facing away from him, and Sho can see droplets of water from the man’s hair running down to his spine. Sho’s throat suddenly feels weirdly dry. Matsumoto possesses broad shoulders and narrow hips, and while the ripples he’s making on the surface of the pool make the rest of his body somehow disappear, Sho thinks he has seen enough. He feels hot in his clothes and he’s sure it’s not because of the sun over their heads.  
   
“I promise not to peek as you strip if that is what you are worried about,” he hears Matsumoto say, and Sho shoots him a look of hate when he hears the man laugh.  
   
Still, Sho crouches down behind a large boulder and strips there, and he sneaks a peek or two to check if Matsumoto is keeping his promise. He sees Matsumoto taking a dive, only to resurface quickly and run his hands down his already wet hair.  
   
Sho realizes he’s the one being a creep with what he’s doing, but it’s not like he intended to stare as Matsumoto takes a swim. If anything, the bath was his idea. Sho waddles awkwardly to the edge of the pool and he hurriedly submerges himself despite the cold surprising him, making him hiss and shiver.  
   
He looks up to see Matsumoto looking at him with a smile on his face, his hands still buried in his wet mane. “Too cold for you?” Matsumoto asks, and Sho doesn’t want to reply to that so he pointedly doesn’t look at the man anymore as he finds a rock to lean against. He misses the tub in the guild house, but as long as he can find someplace he can sit on without drowning, it will have to do.  
   
Sho focuses on washing himself instead, his hands scrubbing at his joints in an attempt to get rid of the grime that somehow managed to accumulate. He glances at Matsumoto every now and then, and most of the time he turns, he catches sight of Matsumoto’s glistening back, the man seemingly cleaning himself up. His method is obviously different from Sho’s because now that Sho observes, Matsumoto seems to clean himself up for an audience, like he’s used to someone staring and doesn’t mind it in one bit.  
   
The muscles of Matsumoto’s back continuously shifts with each movement, and Sho has to shut his eyes and turn his head away when he feels himself stir. He feels horrible for staring, albeit it was done mostly unconsciously, and guilty for letting himself be aroused by such a thing, such a display. Matsumoto seems oblivious to anything because he isn’t saying anything, just going and doing his business as diligently and as efficiently as possible.  
   
Still, from what Sho has seen, it seems that Matsumoto is flexible and has no problem reaching places of his body which are thankfully obscured by the water around them. Sho can feel his cheeks heating up, and he desperately pushes such thoughts away as he cleans himself up. He keeps to his side of the pool and Matsumoto keeps to his, and for a while there’s nothing but the sounds of water being splashed over patches of skin.  
   
Sho only looks up when he hears the telltale sounds of Matsumoto leaving the pool, and he has to immediately avert his eyes when he gets a view of Matsumoto’s backside. Sho knows he has stared more than enough at Matsumoto and he feels ashamed for the fact that he liked what he saw despite his association with Matsumoto being nothing but a temporary traveling companion.  
   
He blames the fact that it’s been a while for him, that it takes only a bit for him to feel the immediate signs of arousal. He’s been preoccupied with completing jobs one after another that he neglects to look after himself. When Nino was still around as his partner, it was Nino reminding him of such things. Now that Sho fends off for himself, he tends to lose himself into his work that he forgets he has other needs.  
   
He hurriedly finishes his bath and leaves the pool in a similar fashion, crouching behind a rock to tug his clothes back on. The cotton of his tunic and trousers stick to his skin because he didn’t bother to wipe himself thoroughly, but not to the point that it’s uncomfortable. If anything, the coolness helps with his heated skin and Sho wishes it can work faster to calm his nerves. He’s still embarrassed and he doesn’t think he can look at Matsumoto in the eye, but to not do so might alert the man that something is amiss.  
   
Matsumoto seems to be very perceptive, and Sho knows that comes with the job. Being observant is Nino’s special talent, but ever since Sho went solo, he tries his best to channel it too. So far, he doesn’t know what to think of Matsumoto. He’s obviously a rival, but before they left Nie Sho struck an agreement with the fellow hunter who seems keen to honor that as much as Sho does, something Sho is grateful for. Matsumoto lit a fire for them without asking and he seemed genuine in his efforts to engage Sho in a conversation, if last night’s events were anything to go by. It’s been a long time since Sho managed to talk freely about the ups and downs of his profession.  
   
Talking with Matsumoto last night did him a lot of good, eased most of the tension between them, and Sho finds that he can now look at the other man without frowning or feeling mostly skeptical.  
   
That doesn’t mean that Sho’s staring is justifiable when they shared a bath only a few moments ago. He’s sure Matsumoto felt him doing so, but when Sho expected a haughty remark or any form of teasing, Matsumoto went about his business like he felt nothing at all.  
   
And that’s what bugs Sho, that reality that Matsumoto knew, but he certainly didn’t mind.  
   
He feels a tap on his shoulder and he tries not to jump when he sees Matsumoto looking at him expectantly. Sho didn’t even hear him step closer because he was too busy thinking about, well, Matsumoto himself.  
   
“We should get going,” Matsumoto says, turning his focus on the clearing they can see, where the dirt path leading to the next town surely lies. “Unless you want me to get there ahead of you?”  
   
Sho can hear the teasing in his tone and he narrows his eyes. “Even if you get there first, I’m still the one who’s going to get it,” he claims, and Matsumoto quirks an eyebrow, amusement evident in his brown eyes. Eyes that Sho only noticed now because it’s the first time he truly looked and the daylight only seems to amplify Matsumoto’s features.  
   
“Is that a challenge, Sakurai Sho?” Matsumoto asks, and Sho grins before putting his knapsack around his body and carrying the rest of his belongings.  
   
“I’m just telling the truth,” he says, and he feels warm at the sound of Matsumoto’s pleased laughter that he walks on with a slight spring in his step, Matsumoto right on his heels.  
   
\--  
   
The sun has risen to midday when Sho and Matsumoto finally reach the town of Yomi, and while Nie had been full of life despite its distance from the capital, the same cannot be said for Yomi. Only a few of the townsfolk spare them a glance as they enter the town gates, and there aren’t many townspeople to begin with, which is unusual considering it’s noon.  
   
Sho suspects that this is exactly why the incubus lured him here. Yomi is a bleak town, as silent as the night and the air so close to stillness despite the area not being abandoned. It’s the perfect playground for something as cunning and as calculating as Sho’s assignment.  
   
Sho walks toward a nearby tree where a framed map of the town is nailed on the bark. He can sense Matsumoto standing close to him as he examines the places in town. Yomi is smaller than Nie, and the map is tattered to the point that the ink on the edges of the parchment has weathered away. Still, Sho can see that there seems to be no towns adjacent, only mountains.  
   
He frowns. The incubus has lured him to a place where its only means of escape is going back to Nie, unless it intends to flee towards the mountains when Sho finally manages to corner it. And the chances of him doing so are becoming higher as his eyes carefully examine the map before them, because Yomi has only one existing exit, and that is also its only entrance.  
   
Everywhere else leads to the mountains, and there are walls made of stacked logs surrounding the town’s entire vicinity. As long as Sho places a trap at the only available exit of the town, the one he and Matsumoto just went through, the demon cannot leave.  
   
Sho grins, pleased with his discovery. Matsumoto seems to sense his thoughts, because the next thing he says is “I bet you are planning to set up an elaborate trap as early as now.”  
   
Sho rummages inside his knapsack for Becky’s pouch of special salt, letting out a tiny elated exclamation when he finds what he’s looking for. “Not yet. I’m thinking of checking first if it’s indeed here.” He shoots Matsumoto a look, who’s now leaning gracefully against the tree and watching his every move. “Unless you want to do that?”  
   
Matsumoto licks his lips, his expression betraying nothing. “Technically, you pulled your gear out first, so I guess that makes it all yours.”  
   
Sho merely tilts his head as a response. He opens the tiny pouch on his palm and takes a pinch amount before flicking the crystalline grains in the air, and he watches in fascination as the particles settle slowly, that for a moment they seem to be dispersed in the atmosphere in a thin blanket of white, before finally landing on the ground. He can’t help the smile on his face when the salt forms the unmistakable sigil of the incubus he has grown familiar with ever since he first saw it.  
   
“Guess that means he is here,” Matsumoto says, and Sho just nods in agreement.  
   
He tucks away the pouch back in his knapsack. He looks around, hoping to see anyone who happens to be looking for him because that’s probably the watcher Nino posted in this town, but no one is around other than farm boys and milkmaids crossing the street, some with their cattle with them.  
   
He turns back to Matsumoto. “I’m going to set up a trap so it can’t leave, unless you have any objections?” Sho figures it’ll be polite to ask for permission since the two of them are now after it. Matsumoto can still set up a trap of his own, anyway. It’s not like when Sho does his rune work it will disable anyone from doing the same.  
   
Matsumoto simply waves a dismissive hand, and Sho gets to work, walking back a few paces to the town entrance and drawing runes on the ground with his finger. He’s setting up an entrapment spell on top of an invisible barrier, that should the demon attempt to escape, not even its most convincing form can get past the gates. He mutters incantation after incantation under his breath, his brows furrowed in concentration. He can feel Matsumoto watching him work, but he prides himself to be efficient and diligent that he doesn’t let it distract him until he’s sure the enchantments are in place. Satisfied that he has managed to lay out an infallible trap, he stands up.  
   
Sho turns and walks back to stand in front of Matsumoto, who never left his place near the tree. “I have to find our guild house here.” He has no idea why he’s explaining, but for some reason, Sho feels the tiny pangs of sadness at the thought of his temporary arrangement coming to an end. On the way here, he and Matsumoto managed to talk more freely, making the travel time far less noticeable unlike the day before.  
   
At this point Sho won’t deny enjoying Matsumoto’s company.  
   
Matsumoto finally moves away from the tree and stands in front of him. “Think you can find your way around?” he asks, and Sho laughs a little at the teasing tone he hears.  
   
“You’re not from here, Matsumoto, so I can tell you the same.”  
   
Matsumoto’s lips curl into a small smile, the moles surrounding his mouth shifting a little. Sho never got the chance to notice that distinct dot close to his chin before. “You won’t be so averse to walking around with me till you find where you are supposed to go, will you?”  
   
That makes Sho smile back a little, but only a little. “I suppose not. Lead the way,” he says, and when Matsumoto frowns, he adds, “I’ve been doing nothing but lead you around since yesterday, I think it’s your turn to do the same.”  
   
Matsumoto laughs at that, a rich sound of amusement that isn’t fitting for their bleak surroundings. He doesn’t say anything, just tilts a head at Sho before walking onward, and this time, it’s Sho who trudges after him. Sho likes the change, the fact that he can see the hard lines of Matsumoto’s face when the man turns to the side to peer at houses, at business establishments, how his expression shifts when he spots something fleetingly interesting only for his gaze to turn back to the direction where they’re going, which is the center of the town according to the map they both looked at earlier.  
   
With Sho walking behind, he has the assurance that Matsumoto will never catch him as he carefully observes each action, each expression Matsumoto makes.  
   
Matsumoto stops at a nearby fruit stall, examining an apple by holding it in his palms, his long fingers running against the smooth, ripened skin of the fruit. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the action, but Matsumoto seems to do it gracefully, caressing the fruit carefully, and Sho quickly averts his eyes lest Matsumoto catches him staring.  
   
When Sho looks to his right, that’s when he sees their guild logo on a door knocker to one of the houses close to the fruit stall. A brief sense of elation washes over him at the discovery that he has found his place to sleep. He turns back to Matsumoto and sees the other hunter now leaning against the stall, apple in hand and his mouth clearly chewing on the fruit. There’s a bit of juice dribbling down the corners of his mouth and Matsumoto flicks his tongue to catch it before it runs down his chin.  
   
Matsumoto is looking at him, and Sho’s sure the man has just seen how he stared. Sho clears his throat and wills himself not to feel any form of embarrassment, for blood not to creep up to his cheeks and make things more awkward. “I found our guild house,” he says lamely, and he hears Matsumoto munch into the apple once more.  
   
“I noticed,” Matsumoto says, chewing rather loudly. He takes another bite and Sho keeps his eyes on the fruit stand that supports Matsumoto’s weight. “So this is goodbye, then?”  
   
Sho has no idea what to make of Matsumoto’s tone. The man is undoubtedly teasing him, but he asks the question in such a way that if Sho didn’t know any better, he’d say Matsumoto sounded a bit disappointed, somewhat sad.  
   
“Where are you staying?” Sho blurts out before he can help it, but there’s no turning back.  
   
Matsumoto licks his lips, chasing away remnants of the sweet flavor. Sho can smell the apple on the man’s hand, its sweet aroma somehow tempting Sho to purchase one for himself. He doesn’t though, because he seriously doubts he can eat it in the same graceful and enticing manner Matsumoto does.  
   
Matsumoto bites into the apple again, his brown eyes focused on Sho. “I was thinking of locating an inn to check if they have vacancies. If not, a stable. I simply need a roof over my head in case it rains.”  
   
Sho darts a glance to their guild house, certain that there’s a promise of a hot bath, a fireplace running during the night, along with comfortable quarters to rest in. He feels bad letting Matsumoto stay in a stable while he gets to enjoy such luxury. The man might not be a fellow guild member, but it’s not like Matsumoto is a stranger since they did talk on their way here.  
   
And Sho is not vice guild master for nothing.  
   
“I can offer you a place to sleep,” he says, deliberately looking at the guild house behind him instead of Matsumoto’s face. “I feel awful knowing that you might sleep in a stable while I’ll get a proper bed for tonight.”  
   
He hears Matsumoto take a few steps towards him, and when Sho turns to look, Matsumoto has finally discarded the apple somewhere. He almost breathed a sigh of relief.  
   
“I’d be a fool not to accept such generosity,” Matsumoto says, extending a hand in front of Sho. “We might as well shake on it to make it official.”  
   
When Sho takes Matsumoto’s hand in his own, the man’s cold hand a contrast to Sho’s clammy one, Matsumoto smiles. “I’ll be in your care then, Sakurai Sho.”  
   
Sho pulls away, already gesturing for Matsumoto to follow him. “Sho’s just fine, you know,” he says, and he hears Matsumoto hum. “You don’t have to call me that every time.”  
   
They reach the steps of the guild house and Sho uses the knocker to alert the designated watcher to their presence. It’s only then that Matsumoto speaks. “No, I don’t.”  
   
Sho turns to look at the man, and Matsumoto has a strange look in his eyes when he says, “But you didn’t get that name for nothing, so I might as well continue addressing you that way.”  
   
Sho shakes his head, a small laugh escaping his lips. “Have it your way, then.”  
   
The door opens just before Sho lifted a hand to use the knocker again, and in front of them stands a petite woman, her long hair tied in a bun. She darts a glance to Sho’s companion and Sho steps back a little to let her see Matsumoto clearly.  
   
“I’m the watcher, Kitagawa,” she says in a firm tone as she gives Matsumoto a once over before turning back to Sho. “I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you at the gates, Sho-kun. I was preparing for lunch.”  
   
Sho nods, an acceptance of her apology. “This is Matsumoto. He’ll be staying with us,” Sho explains with a tiny wave towards Matsumoto’s direction.  
   
Kitagawa raises an eyebrow and doesn’t step back to let them in. “A recruit?”  
   
Sho shakes his head, but before he can open his mouth he hears Matsumoto say, “A temporary arrangement. Unless you mind, Kitagawa-san?”  
   
Kitagawa looks at Sho for confirmation and Sho nods. “You can tell Nino about it,” he says, knowing that it’s part of her job to report every development to Nino. “I’m sure he’ll want to know.”  
   
Kitagawa gives Matsumoto one look before stepping back and letting them in, and she shuts the door and leaves to continue preparing lunch, letting Sho find his way around with Matsumoto at his heels.  
   
Just like the guild house at Nie, the place is well-provided, more proof of Nino’s exceptional way of budgeting the guild money. He turns around the corner and sees two adjacent rooms, both of which are kept clean with newly washed cotton sheets and curtains. Sho turns to Matsumoto and lets the man pick a room with a tilt of his head, and Matsumoto simply shrugs and heads to the one on their right, the one next to the bathroom, leaving Sho the one on the left which is adjacent to a room that is probably Kitagawa’s sleeping quarters.  
   
Sho enters his own room and closes the door as he deposits most of his things on the nearest table. He flops down on the bed, finding the mattress soft enough to ensure a good night’s rest, and as he sits up on the bed and crouches down to unlace his boots, he finds himself wondering if Matsumoto is doing the same in the other room.  
   
Matsumoto.  
   
Now that Sho thinks about it, here he is, in a town far, far up north, in their guild house diligently maintained by a watcher named Kitagawa with his traveling companion resting in the next room. Was it only yesterday that he denied the ideas of partnership in front of Ohno? Here he is now, in some sort of temporary arrangement as long as he and Matsumoto stay under the same roof.  
   
Sho has gone solo for quite a while now that even though he’s used to it, he’s starting to miss the company of having another hunter around, another one who will take on the same assignments as he does. He misses having another head contributing to the planning process, another one to discuss ideas with.  
   
He turns his head to the wall separating his room from the next one, and somewhere in the back of Sho’s mind, there’s a lingering thought of now might be right time for him to consider the idea of partnership once more.


	5. What You Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M.

****Sho spends his next three days getting updates from both Nino and Becky, all of which they both convey through Kitagawa. Sho has abandoned calling Kitagawa anything other than Keiko-chan, a nickname the watcher herself told him to use. Matsumoto, however, still resolves to call her Kitagawa, sometimes by her full name.  
  
Sho has entered a state of camaraderie with the watcher while Matsumoto remains mostly confined in his room, leaving only for meals, baths, and the occasional walk around the town despite Keiko-chan’s claims that Yomi does not have much to offer. The word of the level 00 incubus currently residing in Yomi is widespread in the rather bleak town, but any advance towards townsfolk has yet to happen.  
  
Matsumoto’s tendency to remain holed up in the room he’s provided with is something Sho merely interpreted as his fellow hunter’s way of planning, of carefully plotting his moves now that Sho has set up an entrapment spell at the town’s only exit. Sho respects Matsumoto’s privacy and does not pry. Instead he focuses on planning out his own traps using the map Keiko provided him with.  
  
Keiko, for her part, seems to be getting along easily with the both of them. Sho heard her conversing animatedly with Matsumoto during their first night in Yomi, when Matsumoto offered to help her with dinner. Sho admitted to his meager cooking skills and apologized for it, something Keiko brushed off and Matsumoto merely grinned at.  
  
For three nights, Sho repeatedly poked at the link he has with his incubus target, all to no avail. It stubbornly remains shut and no amount of concentration on Sho’s part can get it to open, so Sho focuses on laying down plan after plan and asking Keiko to convey them to Nino, who gives Sho his approval and asks Keiko to tell him to watch out.  
  
Sho understands Nino’s concern. Nino wants him to be on guard because it’s been three days since he reached Yomi and there is nothing but silence from Sho’s target. The incubus has not visited anyone, has not fed, and it’s not biting on Sho’s attempts at communication, something, given its particularly playful nature, did not usually do.  
  
On the fourth day, Sho resolves to set up the rest of his entrapment and detection spells, making sure that he has the town covered. The people of Yomi pay him no mind despite their knowledge that a demon lies within their midst, and Sho is thankful for the indifference they give, finding it easier to deal with than the condescension of the people from the town before.  
  
It takes him two more days to finish placing his traps all over the town, and on the night of the sixth day, he asks Keiko over dinner to send word to Nino that he has used up a week from his month-long deadline for his current assignment. Keiko merely nods, saying she’ll do it immediately after dinner. Matsumoto simply shoots him a glance with an eyebrow raised, something Sho now challenges head-on with an eyebrow of his own.  
  
“A deadline of a month, you say,” Matsumoto says as he takes a sip of water, “meaning you have three weeks left to track him down?”  
  
Sho nods, before tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at Matsumoto. “Concerned, Matsumoto?” he asks, a smirk forming on his face. “I may be getting this job done, after all.”  
  
Matsumoto lets out a snort, his eyebrow still quirked. “Cocky of you to say that. Wait till you see me make my move.”  
  
Sho keeps the smirk on his face. “Better move fast, then. I’m closer to it than you are.”  
  
Matsumoto now grins, his features becoming more pronounced. “So you say,” is all he says before standing up from the dining table and carrying his plate and cup to the sink.  
  
“Leave it,” Sho hears Keiko say, “I can wash them. If any of you wants a bath, there’s still water.”  
  
From the corner of Sho’s eye he sees Matsumoto nodding gratefully at Keiko before bowing curtly to excuse his presence. Keiko finishes her meal before Sho, standing up from the table and telling him to bring the dishes to the sink once he’s done, something Sho does eventually.  
  
“You’re competing with him,” Keiko tells him before he gets to leave, and Sho turns back to her.  
  
“We had an agreement, that he’ll stay out of my way as long as I do the same,” he explains.  
  
Keiko turns to him with slightly narrowed eyes, her hands continuous in washing the dishes. “So it’s friendly competition then? Are you recruiting him, Sho-kun?”  
  
Sho ponders. Keiko is obviously more than qualified to be a watcher, for her to ask such things by simply observing tonight’s flow of conversation. The idea has naturally crossed Sho’s mind; he thinks it’ll be nice to bring a recruit back along with the level 00 extermination three weeks from now. But that all depends if Matsumoto is going to accept Sho’s proposal, that he finally allies himself with a guild and have associates. Sho is honestly enjoying the competitive atmosphere he seems to have established with Matsumoto.  
  
“Hopefully it will come to that,” he tells Keiko, wanting to be honest with her as much as possible. She looks like she would know if he was lying. “I don’t think he’ll easily agree, though.”  
  
Keiko turns back to her dishes, a smile dancing on her pretty face. “I think you need to work on your methods of convincing, Sho-kun, if you do want him to be a part of the guild. You’re not as good as Nino in such things.”  
  
“Sorry about that,” he says with a laugh. He has always known that Nino is the charming one, the one who knows what to say to make someone listen to him, and eventually consider what he has to offer, even accept on most cases.  
  
It’s just that Sho thought taking a jab at Matsumoto’s obvious competitiveness might work. Sho has his own way of approaching things, most of which are complementary to Nino’s, which made them work so well back in the days. Just because his attempt needs improvement doesn’t mean it’s entirely ineffective.  
  
If anything, Sho can see that there’s a high possibility of Matsumoto eventually joining the Lotus, provided Sho chooses the right words to say. He and Keiko-chan are extending hospitality to the hunter, something Sho knows Matsumoto is immensely grateful for, because Keiko herself tells him about it. Her job is to watch and she’s good at what Nino assigned for her to do, taking note of the slightest things in Matsumoto’s demeanor. Sho won’t deny noticing that Keiko has grown comfortable with Matsumoto’s presence as much as she is comfortable with Sho’s.  
  
Keiko resumes her work, removing remnants of food from the plates. “I’m keeping you,” she tells Sho. “I have to send word to Nino after this. If you want a bath, I’m sure there’s more than enough water.”  
  
Sho thanks her, considering himself dismissed. Keiko has the ceroscopy basin in her room, the only place in the guild house Sho and Matsumoto are not allowed to venture into. The woman is extremely particular with her privacy and efficiency in communicating with the guild house, that she ensures that no one is around to disturb her when she does so. Sho will hate it if the comfortable atmosphere he has with the guild house’s two other occupants gets disrupted by a petty case of privacy breach.  
  
On his way to his room to retrieve a change of clothes for a bath, Matsumoto comes out of the bathroom, a piece of towel wrapped around his narrow hips. He has his back turned to Sho, the lean dorsal muscles shifting with every movement he makes. Matsumoto seems to be examining something on the floor, an arm resting against the bathroom’s door frame that supports most of his weight. Sho feels himself reddening in embarrassment at the fact that he stared, and when he makes a move towards his own room, Matsumoto must have heard his footstep, the man turning around and meeting Sho’s eyes.  
  
Sho can see a droplet of water falling from Matsumoto’s hair and landing on the man’s bare shoulder, traveling south across the man’s chest. Sho doesn’t miss the beauty mark beside the right nipple, and that’s when he realizes he’s still staring and that Matsumoto obviously caught him doing so. Matsumoto’s smirking when Sho moves his eyes back to the man’s face.  
  
“You can use the bath now,” Matsumoto says, still grinning, a hand extended towards the direction of the bathroom.  
  
Sho decides that he has embarrassed himself to an alarming rate already, and that the last thing he wants is for Keiko to bear witness to all of this so he crosses his arms over his chest, trying his best to school his features back to what’s acceptable, like he did not just stare at Matsumoto’s half-naked form, the person he’s intending to recruit when this is all over.  
  
“Yes,” he says, tilting his head for effect, “I suppose I can now.”  
  
Matsumoto takes a step closer, his damp foot leaving a print on the floorboard. There’s still quite a distance between him and Sho, something Sho is grateful for. He wills himself not to move.  
  
“I’ll leave you to it,” Matsumoto says, already heading for his room. He shoots Sho a knowing glance. “The water’s cold enough,” he adds before shutting the door immediately.  
  
Sho immediately retreats to his room, trying his best to not be affected by what he saw. It doesn’t work, and he angrily finds a suitable change of clothes and hurriedly gets to the bathroom, hoping desperately that the coldness of the water in the tub can help him out.  
  
Later that night, Sho tries to poke at the link once more, finding it barred shut, and he resigns himself to sleep, knowing that it’s only a matter of time. He dreams of water and droplets of it against skin that isn’t his own, and of finding nevi in another person’s body.  
  
\--  
  
The following morning, Keiko tells him that according to Nino, if Sho has not succeeded after three weeks, Nino will be sending someone after him because it’s guild protocol to do so, regardless if Sho has a fellow hunter under the same roof. Sho is not surprised by this decision; Nino informed him of it even before he departed from the guild headquarters.  
  
When Keiko comes back from retrieving town news, she informs the both of them that the reward money of five million has now increased to six, given the addition of Miyajima from Nie and the fact that the incubus has been lying low for a week now, ever since Sho’s arrival at Yomi. The mayors of the towns afflicted apparently decided that increasing the amount might hasten its extermination.  
  
Sho has been repeatedly trying to establish contact with his assignment, and each time he fails, he makes sure to tell Keiko to ask Becky to do the same. And each day, Keiko comes to tell him that Becky cannot detect anything aside from the fact that incubus is in Yomi. Its presence is invisible and undetectable to Sho at the moment, but Becky is strong enough to feel that it’s in the same town as the one Sho’s in. That’s an assurance, at least.  
  
For Sho, he has laid out his move, his traps are perfectly in place and any attempts to escape will do more than alert him to its presence. Perhaps that explains why it’s lying low, why it has remained quiet for a week now. Sho has three weeks left to finish this assignment, and he finds that he will have no complaints if he is to mostly spend those three weeks waiting for the demon to make its move.  
  
He has prepared for all possibilities, after all. If the incubus attempts to escape, the spell Sho has on Yomi’s entrance will prevent it from doing so, and at the same time show its true form. If it tries to lie with an innocent, an unsuspecting member of the town, Sho has enough spells in place to detect its presence the moment it decides to feed or to mark someone.  
  
Sho knows that it won’t be long, for the demon has not fed ever since Ishihara the seamstress from Nie. If it continues this charade of stubbornness, it will eventually weaken itself to the point it will have no choice other than to feed or to die a natural death. Given its level 00 classification, Sho has no doubts regarding its endurance, its resilience to remain in this plane. A victim count of almost two hundred is Sho’s reassurance regarding that trait. He will admit to feeling a bit excited to see how things will unfold, now that he has surely cornered the demon. Its reign of promiscuity will end in Yomi, and Sho made certain of that the moment he realized that this town is surrounded by mountains and only possesses one possible exit.  
  
It’s the demon’s turn to move, and Sho is merely waiting because any move it chooses to make has a higher probability of leading to Sho’s victory in the end. The fact that he has his plans set up is an almost guarantee that it’s him who’s going to take it down, not anyone else. Sho has received word that the Stardust hunter has been pulled out by his guild, deeming the mission too dangerous. Keiko told him that a couple of days before, back when they were having cobs of corn for breakfast. Nino relayed the news a little late, wanting Sho to work as if he’s still competing with two others. The usual manipulation on Nino’s side that actually worked to Sho’s advantage.  
  
He may have questions regarding Nino’s underhanded methods from time to time, but Sho can never deny their effectivity. Nino is skilled at dealing with nearly all kinds of people, something Sho misses having around every time he takes on a job.  
  
It’s only him and Matsumoto after it now, and Sho knows it’s only a matter of time.  
  
Matsumoto, meanwhile, seems to make his movements without Sho’s knowledge. When Sho tried to ask Keiko about Matsumoto leaving the guild house, Keiko merely confirmed that yes, Matsumoto does leave the house once in a while, but she never elaborated. Sho interprets that as Keiko’s way of respecting Matsumoto’s privacy, given that Matsumoto is not a member of the guild. Keiko has no business prying into the activities of someone who is not a guild member and Sho understands that.  
  
But Sho’s boredom regarding the lack of activity from his assignment’s side eventually combines with his curiosity towards the other hunter in the same roof, that the next time Matsumoto stands up to leave, Sho finds himself asking if the man would mind the company.  
  
Matsumoto narrows his eyes at him, before tilting his chin up and smiling. “No, I actually wouldn’t.”  
  
Sho has tried his best to keep things between him and Matsumoto very civil after the staring incident in the bathroom and Sho congratulates himself every time he succeeds. His boredom is taking over him though, which is why he asked to accompany Matsumoto to whatever the man intends to do around town today. Matsumoto seems to like that, the idea of roaming around town despite Yomi being smaller than Nie. Whether he will set up his own traps or not, Sho is about to find out as he trudges after Matsumoto’s form, the both of them having left the guild house immediately after breakfast.  
  
When Matsumoto stops by the fruit stand, the same one he stopped by during their arrival in this town, Sho frowns. “We just ate,” he says, and Matsumoto turns to him with a small smile and an eyebrow quirked. “You’re not planning to eat again, are you?”  
  
Matsumoto picks up an apple, its redness appearing enticing with the sunlight reflecting against the smooth skin. He tosses it in the air only to catch it again. “For lunch later,” is all he tells Sho, turning back to the vendor and purchasing five apples. The vendor hands over the fruits placed in small cloth sack, something Matsumoto accepts gratefully before walking onward once more.  
  
Yomi is a town comprised mostly of barns, milkmaids, and stable boys shuffling about along with the occasional peddlers selling spices, cheap ale, and fish. Not as freshly caught as Ohno’s when Sho sneaks a look, and he finds that he misses Ohno’s fish-related meals that he vows he will stop over at Nie just to exchange stories with his friend. Sho has stayed in Yomi for a longer time compared to Nie, and yet, he misses Ohno Satoshi and his quiet demeanor, his contemplative look and observant personality.  
  
Sho looks up, his eyes locking on to Matsumoto’s back. He has no idea why he is following this man around town, only that he’s bored enough and there is nothing to do in the guild house other than wait and continue waiting. Once in a while Sho makes it to a point that he pokes at the link in his head, but he finds it as still and as silent since his arrival here.  
  
Matsumoto makes a few stopovers, peering over different carts and conversing with the townsfolk, something Sho doesn’t understand the meaning of. For his part, Matsumoto looks genuinely interested regarding the things he’s asking the people of Yomi about, and Sho watches how Matsumoto’s face breaks into a delighted smile when one person says something interesting about what he or she has to sell.  
  
Not once did Matsumoto try to engage him into a conversation, instead choosing to talk to the townspeople, and Sho has no idea what to feel about that. A part of him is feeling immense relief because he has embarrassed himself some nights ago and civility is how he copes with it. Another part, however, feels slightly insulted because Matsumoto seems to prefer conversing with strangers rather than him.  
  
Maybe sharing the same roof has made Sho less interesting to his eyes, but then again, Matsumoto never showed interest in him, now that Sho gives the matter a thought. If anything, it was him who was interested and curious, and it’s him who still remains interested and even more curious about Matsumoto, not the other way around.  
  
Eventually, they reach a clearing somewhere in town, where the breeze from the mountains can be felt freely, its cool gust refreshing to the skin. When Sho inhales, he can trace the scent of pine trees and it floods his senses, soothing him. Matsumoto opts to take a seat on the patch of grass under his boots, looking pointedly at Sho until Sho does the same.  
  
It’s midday by then, and Matsumoto wordlessly offers him an apple, something he eyes for a few seconds before taking and mumbling a thank you under his breath. Matsumoto smiles at his words of gratitude, lifting an apple to his lips and biting into its soft, red skin, the sweet juice now combining with the scent of pine trees around them.  
  
Sho tries to focus on eating his own share, munching into the sweet fruit. “Do you like apples that much?” he asks, and Matsumoto smiles before darting a tongue out to lick the juice on his full lips, leaving them glistening. Sho is having a hard time to focus on anything else and he deliberately looks away.  
  
“They’re very sweet, won’t you agree?” Matsumoto asks back, punctuating his question by taking another bite.  
  
Sho chews into the bit of fruit inside his mouth before attempting to speak. “You ate them when we first came here.”  
  
“And I’m eating them again. What is it to you if I like them?” Matsumoto asks before taking another bite, and this time, a bit of juice travels down the white of Matsumoto’s wrist, a glistening trail of sweetness against pale skin with rivulets formed by blue veins underneath. Sho’s eyes are inevitably drawn to it, and as he sees Matsumoto dart out a pink tongue to lick it off, he cannot look away. His only choice is to look up and so he does, meeting Matsumoto’s brown eyes.  
  
Sho attempts to regain control of the situation by raising an eyebrow and asking, “Do you always eat them like that?” but he knows Matsumoto caught on to his pitiful attempt at masking what he just did when the man laughs.  
  
“You seem to enjoy watching me as I eat them in this manner,” Matsumoto says, looking at Sho pointedly as he repeatedly licks his lips, chasing away the remnants of the fruity flavor.  
  
Sho munches into his fruit grudgingly, turning away from Matsumoto. “I’m just a little insulted that eating it doesn’t look as good on me as it does on you,” he retorts. “You make it seem like it’s the best thing there is.”  
  
“Well they’re very tasty,” Matsumoto says, taking successive bites and leaving only the core, something he eventually tosses somewhere behind him. “It’s not everyday I get to eat fruits.”  
  
Sho frowns at that, turning his focus back to the man. “Most towns in the continent have fruits as their primary produce,” he says, watching Matsumoto’s expression for any changes. “Where have you been before all of this?”  
  
Matsumoto looks contemplative for a moment, his head tilted and his eyes on a rock lying a few paces away. “Nowhere near the high-paying jobs you yourself have taken, that’s for sure.”  
  
Sho smiles at that, finishing his apple and licking the juicy sweetness from his lips. He discards it without looking where it lands. “I think I’ll remember your face, Matsumoto, had I seen it before.”  
  
“There aren’t a lot like me around,” Matsumoto says, his amusement evident in his voice.  
  
Sho can’t refute that statement, so he doesn’t. “No,” he says, standing up and offering Matsumoto a hand. “I suppose not.”  
  
Matsumoto looks at Sho’s outstretched hand, his gaze traveling to Sho’s wrist to the rest of his arm before finally landing on his face. “You are becoming impatient,” he tells Sho, and Sho shrugs, his hand still extended to help Matsumoto up. He wonders if it’s that evident in his features or Matsumoto is merely observant.  
  
“It’s been more than a week and I haven’t felt anything. I know it’s here, that it’s somewhere in this town, probably disguised and watching me as I move, but it’s been too long.”  
  
Matsumoto finally takes his hand, and Sho pulls him up in one smooth move. “Stagnation does this to you,” Matsumoto says, his hand still clasped in Sho’s own, their proximity a little too close to be deemed respectable if anyone sees. “Stagnation leaves you frustrated.”  
  
Sho finds that he cannot lie when Matsumoto looks at him with such eyes. He sighs, taking a step back and letting go of the man’s hand. It’s still hot, his palm is still burning from where he felt Matsumoto’s touch. “Nino always said it’s one of my bad traits. He tries his best to keep me occupied because he says I become unmanageable if I’m not.”  
  
Matsumoto tilts his head. “Is that why you asked to come with me? Because you’re bored?”  
  
Sho looks at the man in the eye, taking note of how his eyebrows make his features look more pronounced. “Mostly,” he says, still unable to lie. He doesn’t know why, but he wants to be truthful when Matsumoto looks at him with such knowing eyes. Matsumoto has seen through his coping mannerism towards lack of activity, has seen through it even if they haven’t known each other for long.  
  
“Mostly,” Matsumoto repeats, his eyes narrowing. “There is more.”  
  
Sho lets out a little laugh, an awkward sound between the two of them. “You’re going to call me a creep if I tell you more.”  
  
Matsumoto raises an eyebrow at that. “I’m not blind, Sakurai Sho,” the man says, his lips curling to a knowing smile. “I know you’re curious about what I do whenever I leave the lodgings. And I have just shown you that.”  
  
Sho frowns, looking around them. People in Yomi are still going about their business, none of the townsfolk paying them any mind. “You eat apples every time you leave the guild house?” Sho asks, utterly confused.  
  
Matsumoto laughs, a sound of genuine amusement and very much unlike the one Sho let out earlier. Sho watches how the man’s eyes crinkle in glee, how his shoulders shake as he lets out of huffs of undeniable mirth. “I talk to people,” Matsumoto says, when he finally can speak again, “I talk to them, ask what they do, what they’re selling and for how much. I sincerely want to know. Sometimes I partake in what they have to offer.”  
  
Sho finds himself unable to remove the frown on his face as he continues to stare at Matsumoto. He doesn’t understand this man. This is the same person who suggested that he took a cold bath when he caught Sho staring, yet he’s also the same man who’s now telling him that he is genuinely interested in what people in town have to say.  
  
Sho doesn’t understand a great many things about Matsumoto, and he wants to do something about that immediately.  
  
“You don’t set up traps around town? You just…talk to people?”  
  
Matsumoto lets out another laugh at the way Sho asked his question, and Sho’s certain that his face is showing how confused he is at Matsumoto’s answer. “Not everybody has the same approach as you do,” Matsumoto tells him, still smiling. “I’m interested in what people can tell me because they always have something different to say, something new to share.”  
  
Sho cocks his head at the statement, mulling over the words. He realizes that he has people telling him what’s going on around him because he has Keiko, Ohno, and other guild watchers he worked with in the past. He has Nino and Becky to look out for him even if he’s far up north and they’re in the center of the continent. He has Aiba who checks on his injuries every time he returns from a job. He’s vice guild master and he has friends, people around him who offer the information he needs given his position in the guild and his place in their lives.  
  
He supposes Matsumoto is not so lucky, considering that the man is on his own.  
  
Sho looks at the man beside him with renewed interest, having known something new aside from the man’s preference for apples over any kind of fruit. Matsumoto’s actions still confuse him most of the time. He, after all, can be very teasing and competitive in one moment before becoming contemplative and open the next. Sho remembers the man’s enthusiasm over his stories, the night he spent complaining mostly about Nino by the campfire and his disappointment over the fact that Matsumoto had nothing similar to share.  
  
He understands better now, that Matsumoto had nothing to tell him because he had no Nino, no partner or any other person he ever worked with. Sho wants to recruit him now more than ever but he holds himself back, thinking it’ll be a topic he can save for the coming days, when this job is behind them and there’s no longer anything else to watch out for. He promises to himself that he will try his best to make sure Matsumoto comes back with him to Tenjin as a new member of the Lotus.  
  
“You’ve grown silent,” Matsumoto says, his eyes focused on Sho. “Have I said something wrong?”  
  
Sho shakes his head, looking up to meet Matsumoto’s gaze. “No, I just feel like I got to know you better today,” he admits, a small smile dancing on his lips.  
  
Matsumoto tilts his head. “Have you?” he asks, and just like that, the competitive banter he seems to have formed with Sho returns, easily replacing the side of him that Sho only saw today.  
  
Sho laughs, amused at how Matsumoto can change from one moment to the next. “You’re not exactly what I expected you to be,” he clarifies, and Matsumoto grins, taking a step and gesturing for Sho to follow him with a tilt of his head.  
  
“You have no idea,” Matsumoto says, leading the way.  
  
\--  
  
He and Matsumoto spent the rest of the day roaming the streets of Yomi and Sho got to meet a few of the townsfolk. The blacksmith Mayeda who seems to have familiarity with Matsumoto (if the animated discussion they shared meant something), the cartographer Kibe who’s almost done with his work in this section of the continent, even the bookkeeper Hirai who hides away in her shop and prefers to live in the stories inside her head, or so Matsumoto tells him.  
  
“How did you get someone like Hirai-san talk to you if she prefers to isolate herself?” Sho finds himself asking as they head back towards the guild house since it’s almost nightfall.  
  
Matsumoto smiles, his eyes focused on the road. “It comes naturally,” is all he says, and Sho is becoming used to Matsumoto’s responses to most of his questions that he knows that if he presses, the man will simply give him another answer of a similar nature.  
  
Sho hums, hoping to get Matsumoto’s attention on him. “We’ve known each other for a week now and you still haven’t told me your name. Your given name, I mean.”  
  
Matsumoto stops walking and faces him, a hint of amusement dancing on his lips. Sho has always been drawn to the little markings surrounding the man’s mouth, and for a brief moment he wonders how it will feel like to have those right beneath his fingertips. He blinks furiously to get it out of his head. He has no idea where that thought came from.  
  
“No, I haven’t,” Matsumoto says, his mouth forming a grin. “Must you really know?”  
  
Sho meets the man’s piercing gaze, willing himself not to flush at the attention. “I can’t keep addressing you as Matsumoto if we have the same roof over our heads, if we partake from the same meals as each day goes by, can I?”  
  
Matsumoto looks thoughtful for a moment, then he’s back to smiling at Sho. “No, I suppose not,” he says, turning back to the road and walking again. “Don’t worry, it won’t be like this for long. Just a few days and this will all be behind us.”  
  
Sho is frowning as he tries to match his pace with Matsumoto’s. “You sound so certain,” he says, not taking his eyes off Matsumoto.  
  
Matsumoto keeps the grin on his face. “I am certain.”  
  
Sho stops when they reach the steps of the guild house, where the promise of a fireplace and warm food lie in wait. “Started to acknowledge that I’m a step ahead of you, Matsumoto?” he says, tilting his chin at the man for effect. “Are you finally giving up like Kato and leaving this to me? Are you finally stepping aside to let me claim the victory?”  
  
Matsumoto’s eyes narrow for a second. “I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out who wins,” he says before heading inside the guild house, leaving Sho to stare at his back for a few moments in the rather cold night.  
  
Over dinner, Sho attempts to engage in a staring game with Matsumoto, something the man only raises an eyebrow at. The only indication that Keiko notices what is happening is the minute shake of her head and the small smile dancing on her lips. Sho makes sure he gets to finish ahead of Matsumoto during dinner, slightly terrified at the idea of the bathroom incident happening again. The bath had been cold and helped him calm down, but what the bath could do for his body it apparently couldn’t do for his mind, for he remembers flashes of skin that isn’t his somewhere in the back of his brain that continues to be interested in Matsumoto.  
  
The man never revealed anything more than necessary given that what they have is only a temporary arrangement, but Sho can’t help being curious. Today he got to see what Matsumoto did every time he took his leave, and Sho is certain that Matsumoto did not lie to him about any of it. The townspeople knew Matsumoto, most of them even engaged in polite conversation with the man, all laced with different levels of familiarity. Today he saw how Matsumoto seemed to know exactly what he was doing, how good the man is with people.  
  
Bearing witness to all of that somehow made Sho miss Nino.  
  
Nino is the one who handles people, the one who talks to the right people. Nino has this particular charm that makes him an effective communicator and a partially talented manipulator. When Sho saw that Matsumoto seems to know the appropriate things to say, the correct approach to make people open up to him, Sho felt a distant, almost unfamiliar longing for the old days.  
  
Nino is the one who keeps him sane whenever frustration creeps up on him. Nino looks out for him, makes sure he gets job after job just so he won’t “break into hives, Sho-chan,” and sometimes, looks out for him long enough to make sure that he doesn’t overwork himself, that he doesn’t neglect his health and overlook his other needs. And with Nino as his guild master and being somewhere in Tenjin, there’s really no one else to turn to for these things other than himself.  
  
Sho rationalizes that perhaps, the fact that he hasn’t really gotten some in a good while is the reason why he’s particularly interested in Matsumoto, why everything Matsumoto does seems too graceful in his eyes that he has to concentrate just to be able to look away. It doesn’t help that he got to see how flexible the man is when they shared a bath in the pool on the way to Yomi. Sho thinks he’ll never get the imagery out of his mind, the way the lines of muscles on Matsumoto’s back shifted in accordance with every movement, the water droplets traveling further down on his spine with every twist, every turn.  
  
Sho realizes that thinking about Matsumoto is not going to help him now, when he’s finally lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, trying his best not to remember that Matsumoto is in the room next to his. He can feel his body heating up and he closes his eyes and does a mental count to shake Matsumoto out of his thoughts. The image of a red apple against pale skin floods his mind, and Sho inwardly curses when he remembers how enticingly Matsumoto ate the fruit in front of him.  
  
Twice at that.  
  
He wonders if the man is aware of what he’s doing and what the effects of his actions are. Does Matsumoto think of him like this? Does his body react in the same manner as Sho’s whenever his thoughts flit towards the house’s other hunter?  
  
Sho’s hand somehow finds its way somewhere near his navel, and he clenches his hand into a fist to stop himself from letting it travel further in an attempt to regain control over his senses, his desires which he neglected for far too long. There is a mission and Sho sits up, placing his head in his hands to help him focus back on his task. He’s here for a banishment. He’s here for an extermination.  
  
Deciding that it’s time to attempt something far stronger than simply poking at the link in his head, he stands up and grabs the already lighted candle on his bedside table along with Becky’s pouch of special salt, before sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the bed.  
  
He takes a pinch of salt and scatters it in his surroundings, and it only takes a moment for the crystalline particles to settle down and form the demon’s distinct sigil, something Sho’s all too familiar with now. He places the candle at the center of the intricate pattern and shuts his eyes, turning all of his concentration on the barred link he has with the incubus.  
  
There’s a moment of stillness that lasted only for a fraction of a second. Then the temperature in his room drops alarmingly fast, and Sho suddenly senses the channel opening, this time in full, which is something the demon never did before. Sho is surprised but he allows himself to be only for a moment, because he can feel the demon’s full attention on him, like it’s only in the same room as he is and is currently staring him down.  
  
_Will you not say something?_ is the question, and Sho weighs his options. He can ask why it’s been inactive for a week since his arrival when they both know that they’re in the same town at present or why it barred the link shut, why it maintained its silence only to break it now.  
  
Instead, Sho chooses to be daring, bolder since the demon’s inactivity ensured that he has his strength with him, that he can keep this link open far longer than the usual since it has been days since he performed any elaborate spellwork.  
  
_It’s your turn to move_ , Sho sends, and he gets a wave of astonishment, like the demon is truly appalled at his guts. Sho suddenly remembers how Matsumoto called him cocky some nights before. He supposes it’s true, given the present circumstances.  
  
He feels the demon grin from the other side. _Oh, but I have made my move_ , it declares, and Sho frowns out of instinct. _It’s your turn._  
  
_I have made mine_ , Sho claims, standing his ground. He won’t let it trick him. It’s playful and mischievous, and Sho has gotten proof of that when it made him strip nude in front of Ohno, when it sent him a vivid imagery of himself face down on the pillows. He won’t let it have the upper hand once more. _You can’t leave this town and I ensured that._  
  
He receives a wave of laughter. _Yes, you were particularly creative with your spellwork, nothing like the hunter they sent before._ Sho can only interpret that as its way of referring to Yamashita’s failure, and he concentrates to wait. _I should have played with you a long time ago. We could have had a lot of fun._  
  
Sho chooses to open his eyes at that time, knowing that the channel is stable enough for him to do so. The candle flame remains frozen in front of him, and he keeps his eyes on the darkness surrounding it, as if the demon is sitting somewhere across him. _From Nie I followed you here. I like to think you’ve had your fair share of fun._  
  
The incubus keeps its silence for a few, agonizing moments, before _You misunderstand the depth of my desire for such things. You are not the only one who gets bored, Sakurai Sho. My idea of fun has not even begun yet._  
  
Sho supposes that if the demon tries to overtake his mind now or anything to incapacitate him, Keiko from next door will come just in time to prevent any lasting damage on his person, and Matsumoto from the adjacent room can probably do the same.  
  
Feeling confident that the probability of the incubus going for such methods is very low and even close to zero, Sho smirks, making sure that the sensation of it is sent through the channel as well. _Mine has_ , he declares proudly, and he gets a wave of slight confusion as an answer. _Make your move, demon_ , he taunts, _show me your idea of fun because I’ve shown you mine. We call it “returning the favor” here on this side of the balance._  
  
_Sakurai Sho_ , it says, drawling out each syllable of his name, making it feel like a mockery. _You are as daring and as interesting as I deemed you to be, as confident and as determined as you seemed when you banished so many of my kind before me. If it is a game you want, then a game I shall provide._  
  
_I’m not fond of your games_ , Sho clarifies. _You’re the one who fled to this town and is lulling everyone to a farce, a false sense of security. You’re the one choosing to weaken yourself by not feeding, knowing that once you do so it’s all over for you. You’re the one playing games, choosing to be stubborn rather than accept your defeat._  
  
He receives a wave of amusement, of laughter filled with so much glee that he frowns in confusion. _Call it what you will, but you have not won anything yet_ , is what Sho receives next that he recollects himself, attempts to keep his temper in check. Losing his patience won’t do him any good, not now when he’s having the longest conversation he ever had with his assignment.  
  
_I will in time_ , Sho promises, knowing that his spellwork is foolproof and if the demon tries to cross any of his runes, its disguise will fall off and it will remain trapped. It’s something he never got to do in Nie because Nie is a larger town than Yomi, had multiple exits and places susceptible for anything to be pinpointed accurately. Sho has ensured that the same thing won’t happen this time. For the past days he covered every part of Yomi, setting up detection, entrapment, and binding spells all at the same time. It sapped his strength, but the demon’s silence helped him gain it all back that he’s confident that he currently has the upper hand.  
  
He won’t dare let go of the advantage he has at the moment.  
  
_I like your confidence_ , is what Sho gets next, followed by a _it’s precisely the reason why I dragged you out here from your place somewhere in the south. I knew you would live up to the expectation._  
  
Sho doesn’t let the praise distract him. _Your words mean nothing to me, demon_ , he sends, making sure his utmost attention is on it. He knows that if he lets the incubus sway him with sweet words he might lose his way, might become susceptible to anything. He thinks he has embarrassed himself enough because of it. _You’re prolonging this. You fight a losing battle._  
  
He receives something that he can only compare to a chuckle as a response to what he said. _I am not_ , it assures him, its amusement evident. _But since you are so eager, so keen, allow me to indulge you for the briefest of moments._  
  
Sho prepares himself, knowing that whatever’s coming is designed to throw him off. He receives a sudden wave of searing heat, of craving and unrelenting lust, of desire so strong that he has to take a breath to anchor himself to reality. He wills himself not to stir, not to react with what he’s feeling and he feels an ounce of pride when he manages to overcome the wave the demon sent his way.  
  
_You’re growing weaker_ , Sho taunts, knowing that if the incubus is in its top shape it would have made him lose himself in it, as it did back in Nie. The fact that Sho managed to suppress the sensations and not let it affect him is a testament that the incubus’ choice not to feed off anyone after Ishihara is taking a toll on its form. _Not as convincing as the last time, no._  
  
He senses it smile from the other side, like he just said something truly amusing. _Is that so? Allow me to change tactics then._  
  
In a flash, Sho sees himself face down on his bed, the same bed he has in the guild house here in Yomi. He sees himself panting with his eyes shut tight, his lips parted and his cheeks flushed. Before Sho can do anything else, he receives an order of _Think of whoever you want_ from the incubus, and against his better judgment, the thought of Matsumoto comes to his head.  
  
_Ah_ , he receives, and he tries to correct his mistake by shutting his eyes tight and desperately removing any thought of Matsumoto in his head. It doesn’t work, and in an instant Sho remembers the redness of the apple, the way Matsumoto darted a tongue out to lick the juicy sweetness from the white of his wrist, the way Matsumoto looked like with only a piece of towel wrapped around his middle as he stepped out of the bath, how his mostly naked and wet body turned around. It’s too late and the demon has seen too much, for the next thing Sho receives is a delighted remark of _So there is someone._  
  
The temperature in his room drops slightly.  
  
_Think of him._  
  
The effect is instantaneous. The next thing Sho sees is himself, pinned face down to the bed, and when the Sho in there turns his head to the side to breathe, that’s when he sees whose hand it is that’s pinning his wrists to the top of the bed. It’s Matsumoto, and it’s Matsumoto’s lips traveling down the spine of the Sho in the vision he sees. He watches helplessly as he writhes in obvious pleasure, the way his mouth parts to let out a moan in an attempt to vocalize whatever satisfaction he feels.  
  
It’s Matsumoto he sees doing things to him, touching him in places that make his form in the illusion beg and beg continuously. It’s the same long, lithe fingers he once saw working on a spindle that he sees touching the sides of his body, lingering on the scars his last level 00 assignment left him with. It’s Matsumoto’s breath ghosting over his shoulder blades, and Sho feels his throat going dry when he’s forced to watch how Matsumoto darts a tongue out to taste the patch of skin underneath his full, swollen lips, and how the Sho that is not him bucked back to the sensation despite Matsumoto’s hand trapping his wrists above his head.  
  
_What_ , he tries, his body heating up and reacting to everything he saw, to everything he continues to see. He can still see Matsumoto planting kisses on his skin, lavishing him with such affection and attention, and he has to bite his lip when the Matsumoto in the illusion tells him to keep his hands above his head.  
  
Sho is then forced to watch how Matsumoto’s lips travel lower, mapping his back with series of kisses, lingering a little on whatever mark he has. When Sho sees Matsumoto darting out a tongue to his hip, he decides he has seen enough that he shuts his eyes furiously and sends out a _What do you want from me?_ to the demon who’s most likely enjoying what it’s doing to him.  
  
The illusion stops then, and all visions of himself in pleasure thanks to Matsumoto’s efforts disappear without a trace. There’s a moment of stillness before Sho receives a sense of calmness, of contemplation. _I can ask you the same. What do you truly want?_ the demon asks as Sho tries to calm his raging heartbeat, as he regulates his rushed breaths.  
  
There is a pause, that for a few seconds all Sho hears is how he’s panting, how his frustration finally seeps through the cracks after months of loneliness, after a week of sharing the same roof with Matsumoto.  
  
_Or more precisely, Sakurai Sho_ , the incubus sends his way, _who do you want?_  
  
The link snaps shut immediately after the question and the candle flame flickers for a second before going out, blanketing Sho’s room in complete darkness. He cradles his head at the sudden rush of queasiness, his vision blurring at the edges. It takes a few moments of breathing in and out to steady himself, to right his world again, and he lifts his eyes to look ahead, finding himself staring at wall separating him from Matsumoto.  
  
Sho is painfully aware of the hardness straining against his trousers, and no amount of shifting can help him with it. He stands up on shaky legs, sitting on the edge of his bed. He wills himself not to give in, not to lay a hand and take hold because he knows who he will think of once he does. He knows who he will see, who he will imagine lying with him, touching him with the same care and precision as he saw in the illusion.  
  
It’s Matsumoto, and Sho feels burning shame at the fact that he let the demon see through that much, that he let it slip past his defenses just long enough for it to give him something that will probably haunt him for as long as he lives.  
  
He places his hands on his knees and clenches them to fists. He grits his teeth out of frustration, of the knowledge that Matsumoto is in the other room and he’s oblivious to anything, probably even resting at this time of the night. The town itself is silent, the guild house in peace with it. Sho thinks he’s probably the only one who feels too awake, his nerves on overdrive and his sensations heightened. He can’t remove the image of Matsumoto in his head, the sight of the man pinning him down, especially now that he’s sitting on very same bed that he saw in the illusion.  
  
He remembers, all too clearly how the Sho in the said illusion begged to be touched, to be brought closer and closer to the edge and how Matsumoto in there obliged, planting kisses in places that made him arch and moan, almost come apart at the seams. He recalls how his body craved the attention the Matsumoto there generously gave the Sho who wasn’t him at all, how his body reacted despite him not being truly the recipient.  
  
Sho kicks his bedside table in frustration, angry with himself, with his slip of control that immediately led to the tables turning. He finds that he can’t stay in his room, not with the bed reminding him of the things he can never have and with Matsumoto somewhere in the next room. He gets up, his erection still straining from the confines of his trousers, and he opens the door to head for the bathroom in a desperate attempt to relieve himself.  
  
He passes by Matsumoto’s room and he freezes in his tracks when he hears it open. He sees the candle from Matsumoto’s room shedding a bit of light that he can now see his own shadow against the wall. Sho stays perfectly still, having no intentions of turning around knowing full well that the evidence of his interest is still present in his trousers. He doesn’t think he can handle the embarrassment, the fact that he was apparently loud enough to wake Matsumoto from his slumber that the man opened his door just before he reached the bathroom.  
  
Sho looks up helplessly, the sight of the bathroom door a few paces away from him, and has to bite his lip when he hears Matsumoto approach.  
  
“Can’t sleep?” Matsumoto asks, and on the corner of Sho’s eye he sees the man crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, all graceful limbs despite the hour being so late. Matsumoto looks perfect, his disheveled hair only adding to his attractiveness in Sho’s eyes, and Sho pointedly doesn’t look at him.  
  
“No, I can’t,” he finds himself saying, his voice a little dry and shaky from the effort. He wants to tell Matsumoto to go away, to go back to his room and leave Sho be as Sho takes care of himself, and yet his fingers itch to reach out and touch Matsumoto, to know how that pale skin feels underneath his fingertips, to know how it feels to get touched by Matsumoto in return and if it’s far from what he saw earlier.  
  
Sho’s torn, and he doesn’t know what else to do so he remains in his place, breathing heavily.  
  
He hears Matsumoto take a step closer and he shuts his eyes, desperately willing that the fact he isn’t turning around will make the man go away despite everything else telling him otherwise. It won’t take much to give in, and Sho’s sure this is what the demon has planned all along, to let him succumb to the well-constructed illusion with the object of said illusion so close by.  
  
“Please leave,” Sho whispers, but he knows Matsumoto heard it. “Please leave me alone.” He doesn’t know if he says it to Matsumoto himself or to the Matsumoto he saw earlier, the one who touched him expertly and left him boneless, a stark contrast to the one standing behind him.  
  
“Are you ill?” he hears Matsumoto ask, and there’s enough concern in his voice that Sho is slightly amazed. “Shall I alert her?” Sho knows he’s referring to Keiko-chan because Keiko is probably keeping watch outside and monitoring everything.  
  
Sho shakes his head, clenching his hands to fists. He can smell Matsumoto’s heady scent and it reminds him of the illusion. Sho has never felt arousal of this extent, and he hates himself for being so close to cracking. He knows if he turns around he will reach out to find out for himself how touching Matsumoto feels like, and that he’s not going to stop there.  
  
It’s taking every bit of his control to resist and Sho knows that if the incubus can see him, it’s probably laughing at his predicament, at the intensity of the effect its insinuations left on Sho.  
  
“Please leave,” he repeats, and he doesn’t care if he sounds like he’s begging or not. He just needs Matsumoto away from him before he gets to do something they’ll probably both regret. Matsumoto has never looked at him that way, after all. The man can be very alluring and charming, but Sho never once saw any hint of something more.  
  
It’s more than he wants, craves at this moment, and he knows he can’t take that from Matsumoto, not when the man is standing unsuspecting and concerned for his well-being despite everything being only a momentary arrangement. Sho doesn’t want to betray whatever form of trust they’ve built in the past few days, especially when one of his goals is to recruit Matsumoto once this mission is over.  
  
“Please just go,” he asks one more time, and he hears Matsumoto’s feet shuffling behind him. “I need to be alone for now,” he adds, hoping it will be enough. He needs it to be enough. If Matsumoto reaches out and touches him, makes him turn around, Sho doesn’t know what he will do. He hopes it will never come to that.  
  
There’s a stretching silence occasionally interrupted by their breathing, Sho with his ragged ones and Matsumoto with his light, almost indiscernible intakes of air. After what seems like forever to Sho, he hears Matsumoto walking back to his own room and the door shutting close behind him, blanketing the corridor in darkness once more.  
  
With that, Sho all but dashes to the bathroom, slamming the door shut and sags his weight against the hard wood. He quickly unfastens the drawstrings of his trousers, and he hisses at the feeling of cool air against his sensitive skin. Sho clamps a hand over his mouth once he takes himself in hand, and it all comes back in quick succession: Matsumoto and the way the water glistened against the pale expanse of his skin on that day at the pool, his lips hovering over the smooth skin of the apple, his tongue chasing away the traces of the sweet fruit from the corners of his mouth.  
  
What Sho remembers makes him thrust wantonly into his fist, and he bites into his palm to prevent himself from crying out. Knowing that Matsumoto’s in the other room makes everything more intense, and when Sho shuts his eyes to lose himself to the sensations, he remembers Matsumoto’s heady scent and how it’s not so different from the one in the illusion. He’s not too different from the Sho the demon showed him earlier when he thumps his head back against the door, the hand over his mouth ensuring that he clings to silence.  
  
He’s already leaking and he knows it won’t be long, not with the way everything’s coming back to him. His hand becomes more insistent as his hips move on their own accord to match the rhythm. There’s buzzing in his ears accompanied by the sweaty slap of his hand against skin, and he’s so close, so close. Just a little more and he knows it’ll all be over, it’ll all wash over him.  
  
His hand squeezes on its own volition, and it’s too much all of a sudden that he bites onto his palm to muffle his cries of satisfaction. It’s Matsumoto he sees, Matsumoto’s hand on him that makes him tip over, or maybe it’s Matsumoto’s mouth and what it could possibly do around him that does. Would it be different from this? Had it been Matsumoto who coaxed such a release from him, would it be any different? Would he be as wanting and as eager as he is now, as unable to resist and as vulnerable?  
  
In the part of his mind that’s capable of wondering despite him coming back down from his high, he thinks of Matsumoto, of the ridiculously large silver ring he has on his middle finger, and how it would truly feel as it drags searing patterns across his skin.  
  



	6. Demon Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags were updated since the explicit rating is happening here.

Sho tries his best to distance himself from Matsumoto ever since his last encounter with his assignment. He has three weeks left until Nino gives him the ultimatum of extermination or extension, and for Sho, that’s more than enough time to get himself back on track.  
  
It’s hard to avoid Matsumoto, though. The man seems to have impeccable timing for everything, and Sho learns that the best way to deal with that uncanny ability is to keep his eyes on the ground. He does it when he’s heading for his rooms and Matsumoto, conveniently or not, emerges from the bathroom and looks at Sho as if he’s daring Sho to do something about it.  
  
It only took Keiko three days to notice that something was up—if the questioning looks she’s shooting Sho are anything to go on—but she doesn’t voice anything. Sho’s thankful for that because he doesn’t think he can say to Keiko’s face that he had a vivid imagery of their other housemate doing exceptional things to his body using his hands and mouth. He doesn’t think he can admit to Keiko that he touched himself while thinking of Matsumoto’s fingers and tongue and that he never really managed to bring himself to the brink in the same intensity before.  
  
Keiko will catch on if he leaves out any details, and Sho thinks that’s probably why she never asked. She probably knows already; Sho isn’t exactly subtle with the looks he shoots Matsumoto sometimes when he thinks the other man isn’t paying attention. Keiko is a watcher and it’s part of her job to notice the little things. Sho’s certain she has seen more than once the glances he throws in Matsumoto’s direction and has accurately interpreted for herself the meaning of such.  
  
With him deliberately avoiding Matsumoto as much as he can, he focuses on other things he can do. He offers to lend a hand to Keiko in the kitchen during a late dinner because Keiko got held up with procuring supplies in the market during the afternoon. She tells them that there was a commotion in the marketplace earlier, something about the townsfolk trying to find the real thief among three mischievous boys.  
  
Sho offers his services to her as she prepares her ingredients. He even bows a little, and a strange expression passes over her face before she shrugs and hands him a knife.  
  
“You can chop vegetables, right?” she asks, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.  
  
Sho grabs the knife, feeling mildly insulted. “Just because it’s a widely known fact in the guild that I can’t cook doesn’t mean I can’t help.”  
  
Keiko laughs and Sho finds that he likes the easygoing atmosphere between them. It’s like this with Ohno too, now that he thinks about it. Maybe that’s how it will always feel like when he’s surrounded by people handpicked by Nino. It feels like Nino’s with him in one way or another.  
  
“I’ll leave you to it. I need to fetch some water,” Keiko says, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t cut them too big, all right? We want them to be bite-sized!”  
  
Sho pouts and he receives Keiko’s warm laughter once more. “Have a little faith in me,” he says, and Keiko nods, still smiling, before excusing herself to head off to the well on the west side of the town. Sho once offered to be the one to get water but she stubbornly refused, saying it’s her nightly stroll around town to enjoy the mountain breeze. She told him it was one of the little indulgences in her life, and Sho promised never to offer again, something she smiled at.  
  
Sho focuses on Keiko’s instruction of bite-sized pieces that he’s too busy chopping to notice that he is no longer alone.  
  
“She actually trusted you to remain unsupervised in this part of the house?” he hears Matsumoto ask, and the sound of his voice cutting through the silence makes Sho jolt and he ends up making a gash on his forefinger.  
  
He hisses at the sudden prick of pain, dropping the knife and clutching at the bleeding digit with his other hand. It’s not a deep cut, but it stings and Sho squeezes his fingertip to numb the pain. He looks up, intending to shoot a look of hate in Matsumoto’s direction, but Matsumoto’s standing too close and Sho didn’t even hear him step closer.  
  
“Let me,” Matsumoto says, already grabbing his hand to inspect the injury. Sho tries not to squirm at the contact; Matsumoto’s touch is too hot against his own, too scalding and electric that it reminds him of what the demon showed him almost instantly.  
  
Is this how it feels to be touched by him? Sho wonders, despite the inappropriate timing, how Matsumoto’s touch will feel in other places in his body that is not his extremities.  
  
“You are horribly clumsy,” Matsumoto admonishes him, and Sho shoots him with a pointed look. When he’s about to protest and say something like this is all Matsumoto’s fault, that’s when the man lifts his bloodied finger to his lips, and Sho can only watch with wide eyes as Matsumoto wraps his full lips around the digit.  
  
Sho wants to pull his hand back, to make up some pitiful excuse that won’t work on Matsumoto, but the feeling of Matsumoto’s mouth on him is also something he has wanted ever since, probably even before the night of the incriminating illusion if he’s going to be honest with himself.  
  
He feels the softest scrap of Matsumoto’s teeth on his fingertip before the man sucks on the oozing blood, and Sho can only stand there and watch as Matsumoto’s grip on his hand shifts before running down his wrist and lingering on the bony part of it.  
  
Matsumoto meets his eyes, his lips still around Sho’s finger and Sho feels too warm, every bit of his body burning. He’s almost certain Matsumoto can feel it, how the heat sears through his entire being and liquefies his insides. Sho swallows to get any words out, but he can’t say anything more elaborate than “You—”. It catches in his throat.  
  
Matsumoto’s eyes on him are unyielding, and Sho cannot look away from his piercing gaze. He feels exposed, like he’s the one being hunted and he doesn’t know what to do. Matsumoto’s hand shifts, and now he’s running his thumb over and over Sho’s knuckles, Sho’s finger still trapped between his lips. Sho’s breathing is starting to grow heavier, and he knows Matsumoto can hear it.  
  
He’s vulnerable then, Sho realizes. He stands vulnerable in Keiko’s kitchen, his skin burning up, his breath becoming desperate intakes of oxygen instead of the labored ones, his eyes showing nothing but how much he wants this, how much he doesn’t want Matsumoto to stop. And Matsumoto sees it, all of it at once.  
  
“I’ve seen the way you look at me,” Matsumoto says in a low voice, and Sho thinks his heart must have stopped in his fear. He’s so terrified, so scared that he is finally discovered. “How long?”  
  
How long what, Sho wants to ask. How long have I looked at you as if I wanted you? How long have I wanted you to the point even my assignment can tell, that even Keiko-chan can tell? How long have I wanted you to touch me, to feel you against me? How long has it been for me? Which one is it?  
  
“Tell me,” Matsumoto prompts, and Sho feels him suck at his finger, the sensation too overwhelming and making his blood remember where to go. “Don’t run from me now.”  
  
Sho closes his eyes at those words, knowing that Matsumoto saw through it all. He’s trembling, from the weeks of stress his mission brought upon him, from what’s happening right now, from Matsumoto’s touch and his lips on Sho’s skin. It’s too much.  
  
“Too long,” Sho admits, and that’s the answer to all of it, he supposes. Whatever the question is, the answer is the same, and he can’t look at Matsumoto as he admits it so he persists with shutting his eyes tight. Matsumoto has seen too much already.  
  
Matsumoto’s fingers wrap around his wrist, his thumb stroking the bone there. It’s a soothing gesture that makes Sho open his eyes again, and now Sho can’t stop looking at him, at the way he drops a kiss to Sho’s fingertip, his eyes flickering up slowly to meet Sho’s. His finger has ceased bleeding, but Matsumoto is yet to tear his mouth away from it.  
  
Sho has to swallow to get some words out. If he doesn’t say anything, something will definitely happen. “Dinner,” he tries, and he clenches his jaw when Matsumoto smiles against his skin. “Keiko-chan is expecting us.”  
  
Matsumoto steps back, loosening the grip he has on Sho’s wrist. “Dinner then,” he agrees. He turns to the half-finished vegetables and picks up the knife Sho discarded earlier. “Let me take care of this.”  
  
Sho can only nod his assent, trying to focus on other things as he puts some distance between them. Matsumoto no longer engages him in conversation; only the sound of vegetables being finely cut can be heard between them, but Sho’s certain the other hunter’s not smirking because he simply enjoys the act of preparing for dinner.  
  
He tears his gaze away from Matsumoto when he hears the doors unlocking, signalling Keiko’s return. He hopes he doesn’t look too flustered as he offers to help her carry the water inside.  
  
Keiko only glances at him before moving her gaze to Matsumoto, then she raises an eyebrow back at Sho. “Sure you want dinner?” she whispers as they hunch over the wooden bucket. “I don’t mind eating alone.”  
  
“We’re having dinner,” Sho says decisively, and it comes out a little loud that they both hear Matsumoto laugh from his place in the kitchen. Keiko soon joins him, and Sho fixes her with a betrayed look. “Why are you on his side? We’re in the same guild.”  
  
“I’m just letting you know that I don’t intent to interrupt anything important, Sho-kun,” she answers with a smile, and the way she said it reminds Sho too much of Nino. It’s like all of Nino’s recruits have acquired a portion of his personality, and sadly, it’s usually the teasing and smirking aspect they end up getting and not the ‘I’m your friend ‘til the end’ aspect.  
  
Sho sighs as he grabs the bucket. “Where do you want this?” he asks. Keiko manages the house and in this place her word is the law, so Sho has gotten used to asking her before he does something.  
  
She smiles. “I just need a pot for the stew then you can take it to the bathroom. Can’t hurt to have more water.”  
  
He nods, making his way to the kitchen and deliberately not looking at Matsumoto as Keiko grabs one of her pots and fills it. He’s almost out of the kitchen when Keiko asks Matsumoto bluntly, “Did I interrupt anything?” Sho doesn’t wait for any answer to that, instead going to the bathroom and stomping his feet loudly.  
  
He hears the both of them laughing some seconds later, and he thinks that even if Nino’s not around, he will always be reminded that it’s still Nino’s guild he’s a part of. Perhaps he should participate in the recruitment processes in the future.  
  
\--  
  
Sho knows that what occurred between him and Matsumoto in the kitchen will dictate whatever happens next between them. Matsumoto made the first move, and even after dinner, with him sitting in his room, he can still remember how Matsumoto didn’t hesitate to use his mouth to clean off the blood from his finger. It was incredibly daring and erotic, and Sho knows it’s something he wouldn’t forget very soon. Matsumoto clearly knows how it has affected him, on top of knowing the extent of Sho’s desires. The way he smiled while his mouth was wrapped around Sho’s finger spoke volumes.  
  
Sho tries to remind himself over and over again that he’s here on a mission, for an assignment that Nino trusts him to handle to the best of his ability. He shouldn’t get sidetracked, but every poke he does at the link in the past hour has yielded nothing. His target has no wishes to talk to him for tonight, and that’s likely caused by its gradually weakening state as it puts up the stubborn act of not feeding off anyone.  
  
Keiko told them she’d be on the lookout for tonight, that she might leave the guild house once in a while for a change, but Sho knows she only said that to give them a bit of privacy. He has no idea how much Keiko knows or what Matsumoto has told her, but she’s deliberately staying away in case Sho decides to continue where he and Matsumoto left off.  
  
Because it’s Sho’s turn now. Matsumoto made the first move in the kitchen, showing him that it has been mutual all along and that Sho doesn’t need to worry about reciprocation. What’s stopping Sho at present is the fact that he still intends to recruit Matsumoto after this, and he’s not certain how sleeping with a potential guild member is going to sound like.  
  
Then again, Sho’s vice guild master so he supposes that title holds a bit of authority, a little power. Nino wouldn’t bat an eyelid and probably even celebrate on his behalf (because Nino shows his affections like that) and honestly, it’s only Nino’s opinion that matters to him.  
  
This is how Sho finds himself knocking on the door of the room beside his. Maybe he should be more daring and just open the damn door given Matsumoto’s interest, but he wasn’t raised to ignore such things regardless of the situation. He hears a reply of “Enter,” that sounds a little amused, and he resists the urge to roll his eyes as he turns the knob.  
  
He’s about to say something that will tell Matsumoto that he’s not used to doing things this way, but he’s stopped by the sight before him. Matsumoto’s standing in front of his window, holding a book in one hand. He must have been reading, the candle on the table beside him providing adequate illumination. He turns when Sho steps in, and Sho notices he’s only wearing a thin, silk robe that highlights the tips of his shoulders in the candlelight.  
  
Matsumoto places the book on the desk and Sho sees that it’s only his hand that’s holding the robe closed. Sho wonders where he got such an elaborate garment but his throat feels a little dry when Matsumoto steps closer, his eyes as intense as the flickering fire from the candle beside him.  
  
Sho shuts the door and remains in place, unsure of what to do next. He was able to go up to him and knock on his door, yes, but he never really thought of what he’d do once he’s inside the room. He’s never been in here.  
  
“I—” he tries, but Matsumoto’s stalking towards him. Each step he makes ends up bathing his face in a mixture of shadows and light. Sho can see the sharp curve of his jaw and the shadows under his lips, and he suddenly remembers how that part of Matsumoto felt against his skin.  
  
He wants to feel more of it.  
  
“Yes?” Matsumoto asks, no, whispers because they’re close enough. It’s only then that Sho remembers that he was trying to say something. Matsumoto’s hand on his robe falls, and Sho notices that he’s nude beneath it.  
  
“I’m not accustomed to doing things this way,” Sho manages, and it earns him a laugh. It’s not mocking in nature. “But I want—”  
  
Matsumoto places a finger above Sho’s lips, effectively silencing him. Sho doesn’t know where to look when Matsumoto shifts, for the robe falls slightly open revealing more skin. He has just noticed a mark on Matsumoto’s collarbone.  
  
“I know exactly what you want,” Matsumoto whispers. His hand moves to grab Sho’s wrist, and Sho finds himself being led to the bed. The candle on the nearby table flickers just as Matsumoto pushes him down the mattress. Sho can only look at him, at the way his flimsy robe reveals more and more of his pale skin. Sho wants to run his hands over each and every patch he gets to see each time he moves.  
  
He sits up just as Matsumoto climbs on top of him, his thumb tracing the outline of Sho’s lips. Sho trembles and he holds on to Matsumoto’s hips for balance, thumbs stroking the sharp tips of his hip bones under the silky fabric. He’s so warm and they’re so close, and the only candle in the room is beginning to flicker more frequently.  
  
Sho can feel himself stirring under the tempting weight of Matsumoto’s body. He has already felt the extent of the other man’s interest the moment Matsumoto straddled him, and distantly, Sho wonders who’s going to make the first move.  
  
“I’ve waited,” Matsumoto tells him, running his fingers over Sho’s bottom lip. He sounds incredibly pleased. Sho gives in, lightly kissing each digit. He feels Matsumoto’s other hand creeping up his neck to trace the side of his face with light, feathery touches.  
  
While Sho is attempting to press a kiss each time Matsumoto’s fingers brush his lips, Matsumoto only contents himself with strokes, with running his fingertips over Sho’s face, his jaw, his mouth, his girth of his neck. He doesn’t try to speed things up, which makes Sho wonder how is it that he’s so patient despite his undeniable hardness underneath the silken robe. Sho knows that Matsumoto is as affected as he is. He just doesn’t understand why they aren’t kissing, especially now that he has the other man straddling him.  
  
Matsumoto’s hair has fallen over his eyes, and Sho reaches up to brush them away. Doing so made Matsumoto twist his neck a little and the robe falls, exposing his bare shoulder. Behind him, the candlelight flickers and dims considerably, nearly blanketing them in total darkness.  
  
Sho understands that it’s only a matter of time ‘til one of them truly gives in, and he’s starting to believe it’s going to be him despite being the one still mostly clothed.  
  
There’s something in Matsumoto’s eyes aside from his obvious lust, and looking at it makes Sho quiver. He waits for what Matsumoto has to say and remains where he is, holding on to Matsumoto’s hips just as the man whispers, “You finally came to me.”  
  
The candle flickers once before finally going out, and in the sudden darkness, Matsumoto finds his mouth with ease. Sho surges up to meet him, and it’s hotter than he remembered in the kitchen, all molten heat that threatens to swelter his bones.  
  
He needs more.  
  
His hands move to creep up under the robe, finally feeling skin under his calloused palms and Matsumoto arches a little. He doesn’t break away though, only retaliating by nipping Sho’s bottom lip. Sho can’t figure out which part he wants to touch first, but his hands somehow begin their journey on Matsumoto’s waist before going further up, until he reaches the edge of the silken fabric and is able to slide it off the man’s broad shoulder.  
  
Sho pulls away from Matsumoto’s addicting mouth to stare, and it takes a few moments for his eyes to properly adjust. He can see the hard, strong lines of the man’s torso, the inviting curve of his shoulders, the undeniable musculature of his arms. Sho leans, his mouth landing on Matsumoto’s throat, and he gets a pleased gasp for his audacity. He sucks at the skin under his lips, nipping a little and Matsumoto hisses, his hands clinging to Sho’s shoulders.  
  
His mouth continues its travel across Matsumoto’s neck, stopping briefly to feel the rushed, throbbing pulse under his lips. Pleasure courses through Sho’s veins at the sound of Matsumoto’s gasps—a different kind of thrill; it delights him that he’s able to elicit such an effect on the other man. Before tonight, everything he has known about Matsumoto was attributed to his confident, stubborn, and headstrong attitude. To see him responding to Sho’s attentions makes Sho crave, desire flowing freely in his veins, threatening to take over completely.  
  
Matsumoto cards his hands through Sho’s locks, pulling and wrenching Sho’s mouth away. Sho cranes his neck to kiss him, but he only allows a couple of impatient nips, never pushing for more. Matsumoto pulls away to huff an annoyed “Open your mouth,” something that makes Sho smirk despite the darkness.  
  
He does as he’s told, and he moans at the inviting heat. Matsumoto sucks sensuously on his tongue, licking every corner of his mouth, much different from his almost casual exploration of Sho’s skin earlier, and Sho doesn’t want him to stop. One of his hands settle on the man’s back, the other on his hip, and Sho can feel every ripple his muscles make as he breathes, writhes.  
  
Matsumoto is solid and unyielding in his hands, all fire and intensity that Sho can’t control. He can sense it in every kiss, in every caress. Matsumoto is an uncontainable force of nature, one full of promise, and it’s only a matter of time before he completely devours Sho.  
  
For some reason, Sho can’t find it in him to complain about that.  
  
He’s suddenly pushed back against the cushions, his startled gasp easily lost against Matsumoto’s lips as the man descends on him. Sho blindly reaches for the edges of the robe, sliding it down the rest of Matsumoto’s arms to finally remove it, and Matsumoto maneuvers a little to discard it somewhere at the edge of the bed.  
  
Sho breaks the kiss to stare as Matsumoto sits up, now gloriously naked on top of him. In the darkness Sho can map out the outlines of his muscular build and he can feel himself harden considerably.  
  
Matsumoto clicks his tongue at the sight of him. “You wear such things even when you head for bed?” He’s eyeing Sho’s tunic and cotton trousers with such distaste that it makes Sho laugh a little.  
  
“I usually remove the tunic,” Sho breathes, just as Matsumoto’s fingers reach for edges of the fabric. “Don’t rip it,” he adds as an afterthought, feeling the strong grip. Matsumoto’s sudden impatience will get ahead of him. “I really like this one.”  
  
“It offends me that you can still speak despite me being right before you,” Matsumoto says conversationally, even as his hands push the tunic up to reveal Sho’s skin. Sho sits up and moves his joints to help him, not caring where the tunic lands when they finally discard it, and he gets Matsumoto’s hands roaming possessively across his torso as a reward. “But I’ve always known you were something else.”  
  
Sho slides his fingers around Matsumoto’s waist, moving further down to cup the man’s ass. Matsumoto’s right hand moves to grasp his jaw, baring his neck, and Sho gets pushed back down again. Before he can complain, however, Matsumoto stretches over him, licks up from his collarbone to his jaw, making him throw his head back and gasp. Matsumoto turns his attention to Sho’s pulse, kissing and teasing along Sho’s jugular until Sho can’t take any more of it.  
  
He digs his nails against the flesh of Matsumoto’s ass, making the man hiss and grind down, their erections rubbing together. Sho groans at the friction despite them still being separated by the material of his trousers. Matsumoto’s lips latch on his Adam’s apple, his long fingers running down Sho’s chest, his sides, running over and over that one scar that nearly took Sho’s life three years ago. Sho is perfectly trapped underneath the bulk and weight of Matsumoto’s body, and he can only express his delight at the attention given to him and retaliate slightly by scratching skin.  
  
While Matsumoto was impatient about getting his top off and with his kisses, he certainly didn’t show it with the way he’s treating Sho’s body. His exploration is slow, bordering on torturous. He seems content to just make Sho writhe with every careful, almost demure stroke of his fingers. His mouth remains attached somewhere on Sho’s neck but his hands roam, lingering in places but never for long.  
  
He’s touching Sho like Sho’s made of glass, and Sho expresses his disapproval by surging his hips against him. Sho gets an amused huff of laughter against the junction of his neck for that, immediately followed by another teasing flick of Matsumoto’s tongue to his pulse.  
  
Sho holds on to the man’s firm biceps, begging for things to speed up without actually saying it. Sho’s certain that Matsumoto understands with the way he can feel the man’s smile against his breastbone. But he doesn’t quicken the pace, though he did move his lips to one of Sho’s nipples while his thumb and forefinger circle the other, pinching lightly and turning Sho into a mess of combined lust and frustration.  
  
Matsumoto moves his other hand to Sho’s mouth and in his eagerness, Sho doesn’t hesitate to suck on two of his digits, showing what he can possibly do if only Matsumoto would get off him. He receives a playful pinch to the nipple for that, making him arch. He groans around Matsumoto’s long fingers as the man’s tongue flicks to his nipple before closing his teeth lightly over it and giving it a little tug.  
  
Sho tightens his fingers around Matsumoto’s arms, pushing back until Matsumoto yields. Matsumoto has the gall to smile innocently at Sho as he sits up. In the dark, Sho can somehow see the mischief dancing in Matsumoto’s eyes.  
  
He’s enjoying this, Sho realizes. The teasing, the prolonging, all of it. And Sho’s beginning to think that a big reason why Matsumoto does is that of his reactions to it.  
  
“I need—” Sho begins, but is stopped by three of Matsumoto’s fingers on his lips.  
  
“You need to slow down,” Matsumoto says, his amusement over Sho’s frustration evident.  
  
Sho sits up, grasping the man’s wrist to shove it away from his mouth. “You need to stop teasing.” He doesn’t bother to hide his annoyance.  
  
Matsumoto pouts, and Sho wants to kiss him again and again, harder, until he’s as desperate and wanting as Sho is. “I am simply taking my time.” The next breath he takes is done close to Sho’s earlobe. “To touch.” Sho feels a hand sneakily sliding down to his abdomen, lingering on his navel. “To taste.” A hot tongue tracing the shell of his ear. “To kiss.” A firm press of lips to the point where his jaw meets his neck.  
  
Sho shudders, holding on to Matsumoto’s hips. He tilts his head to the side to find Matsumoto’s mouth, trapping the man’s bottom lip between his teeth and tugging to let him know how frustrated he is. He tries to meet Matsumoto’s palm on his abdomen, hating every second of feeling his fingers lingering on the waistband of his trousers.  
  
If Matsumoto wasn’t on top of him right now, Sho would have removed the material himself.  
  
“Please,” Sho whispers. He moves his hand inward but Matsumoto catches his wrist before he can find the man’s cock. Sho makes a frustrated growl, something Matsumoto laughs softly at.  
  
“Slow down,” he tells Sho, smiling against the angle of Sho’s jaw. “We don’t have to hurry.”  
  
Yes, yes we do, Sho thinks angrily, and that’s when he finds the strength to push Matsumoto off him, flipping them until he has the other man trapped under him. Sho places both hands on either sides of Matsumoto’s head for balance and kisses the smirk off his face, his hand traveling south to grasp the man’s cock.  
  
Sho strokes once, and he does it again when Matsumoto moans encouragingly in his mouth. He pulls away from the kiss to taste every bit of skin he can see, from the hollow of Matsumoto’s throat down to the hard planes of his chest. Matsumoto tangles his fingers in his hair, guiding him gently, fingertips stroking his scalp. Sho’s other hand squeezes and Matsumoto lets out a breath, and suddenly Sho’s overwhelmed by the desire to taste him, to feel that hardness inside his mouth and up against his tongue.  
  
He presses kisses down to Matsumoto’s hip, pointedly licking at the bone as a form of warning for what he’s about to do, then he ducks, his hand guiding him where he needs his mouth to be.  
  
But Sho remembers how he’s been teased earlier and decides to get back now, so he starts small.  
  
He gives a demure, kittenish lick to the head of Matsumoto’s cock, lapping up the precome pearling at its tip. He gets a groan for that so he repeats the action, though he adds a kiss at the end just to be spontaneous. Sho licks up long lines from base to tip, his tongue following the vein, and he feels Matsumoto growing hot and heavier against his mouth.  
  
Sho wraps his lips around the head but doesn’t move, instead tongueing at the slit repeatedly while his hand strokes the shaft, now sufficiently slick with his spit. Matsumoto’s controlling himself; Sho can see the tension he puts in his hips to keep himself from thrusting into Sho’s mouth and the sight of it makes Sho hum.  
  
He hears Matsumoto click his tongue and he looks up, hoping the other man can see the glee in his eyes despite the darkness.  
  
“This amuses you,” Matsumoto tells him, and Sho marvels at how he manages to keep his voice even despite the obvious strain he puts in his muscles.  
  
Sho licks from base to tip one last time to just annoy him, adding a little squeeze to the head. He almost laughs at the hissing intake of air that he hears. “It does.”  
  
“Come here,” Matsumoto orders, tilting his chin up. Sho finds himself obeying and crawling back up, balancing himself on his palms. Matsumoto fingers the waistband of his trousers, breathing hotly against Sho’s cheek. “You’re in such a hurry, Sakurai Sho.”  
  
Sho kisses him to silence him. “Don’t call me that when we’re like this.” He grinds down for emphasis, his clothed cock rubbing against Matsumoto’s bare one. “That reminds me, I still don’t know your name.”  
  
Matsumoto smiles at that, but when Sho waits, he offers nothing. He just looks at Sho, and amidst the lust evident in his eyes, there’s something else Sho can’t name.  
  
“Tell me,” Sho prompts, dropping a kiss to the man’s cheek. When he pulls back again, Matsumoto looks at him strangely. One of his hands reach up to trace Sho’s lips, down to his jaw, before going back up to brush the hair from his eyes.  
  
“Matsumoto’s not good enough for you?” he asks, but before Sho can reply, he’s stopped by a kiss. “It matters not. I believe we’re in the middle of something.”  
  
That’s the only warning Sho gets before he’s flipped to his back with surprising strength, and Matsumoto yanks his trousers off, ripping it in his haste. He offers his palm to Sho and orders, “Lick,” and Sho complies, darting a tongue out, pressing it against the heel of Matsumoto's palm up to the tip of his middle finger.  
  
Matsumoto pulls his hand away and wraps it around Sho’s cock, pumping thrice and smearing the precome around the head using his thumb. Sho claws at the sheets, arching, his heels digging to the mattress as Matsumoto continues to stroke him.  
  
Anything that falls from Sho’s lips is either a hitched moan or a short gasp of breath, and when he feels the hotness of Matsumoto’s tongue on him, an exact repeat of what Sho himself did earlier, he groans.  
  
Matsumoto breaks away with a soft pop. “You don’t seem to enjoy it when you’re not the one doing it.”  
  
That’s a slightly inaccurate assessment, Sho thinks. “I enjoy it,” he clarifies. “But I’m not fond of your teasing.” It amazes him he can still get some words out, especially when he’s got Matsumoto’s hand clamped around the base of his cock. Ever since the campfire, he wondered about those hands.  
  
A kiss on the inside of his thigh. “I’m taking my time.” The hand on his cock squeezes lightly. “We do have all night.” A tongue pressing at the head of his cock before Matsumoto blows, cool air meeting heated skin and Sho groans. “Unless you don’t possess a refractory period?”  
  
Sho laughs breathlessly at that. “I have one, unfortunately. That doesn’t mean you should tease.”  
  
“I’m not teasing,” Matsumoto reiterates, punctuating his statement by sucking the head. Sho wants to say that that’s exactly what he’s doing, but then Matsumoto takes him deeper, hollowing his cheeks and turning Sho into a mess of garbled groans. He buries one hand in Matsumoto’s hair, urging him on, and his toes curl when he feels the muscles of Matsumoto’s throat around his cock.  
  
His mouth is too warm and Sho’s a little terrified he’s going to be an embarrassment. He tries to hold out by calming his breathing, concentrating on the sounds of his heartbeat drumming against his ears. His fingers scratch at Matsumoto’s scalp lightly, trying to tell him to slow down unless he truly intends for Sho to finish.  
  
Matsumoto pulls away when Sho’s so close to coming, and Sho makes a pathetic whine at the back of his throat, earning him the man’s spirited laugh. “Please,” Sho moans, not caring how he sounds. He needs that mouth again, to feel it around him.  
  
There’s a hand circling the base of his cock. “Not yet,” comes the stern voice.  
  
Then Matsumoto slides over him, kissing all his protests away. Sho can taste himself against the man’s tongue and that only spurs him on, kissing back to chase away his own taste. Matsumoto’s licking at his hard palate, deftly avoiding his tongue and Sho makes a noise of frustration that gets easily muffled by Matsumoto’s mouth.  
  
Sho reaches between them, grabbing hold of Matsumoto’s cock and strokes firmly, drinking in every pleased gasp the man makes. Matsumoto reaches to the side, not breaking away from Sho’s mouth, and Sho hears noises coming from the bedside, Matsumoto clearly fumbling for something in the dark.  
  
He pulls away from the kiss, seeing a small vial in between Matsumoto’s fingers. Sho can only assume it’s an oil of some kind. “You tell me how this should go,” Matsumoto says, kissing his sweaty forehead. “What do you want?”  
  
Sho remembers the first thing Matsumoto said to him when he came to this room. “I thought you said you knew exactly what I wanted?”  
  
“I needed to be certain,” Matsumoto reasons, kissing each of his eyelids. “Very well.” He maneuvers himself until he’s properly situated between Sho’s thighs, and Sho spreads his legs wider in cooperation. “Remember to breathe.”  
  
Sho only nods, biting his lip as Matsumoto kisses his knee, his thigh, his hip, his scar. When his hands return to Sho’s skin, the coolness of his digits can be felt when he slips his hand further inward. He doesn’t push, merely circles his finger around the ring of muscle.  
  
When Sho opens his eyes, Matsumoto is watching him. “Breathe,” is the reminder, and when Sho inhales, a finger slips inside, making him exhale just as easily.  
  
Matsumoto takes his time, his finger slipping in and out of Sho in agonizing slowness. Their eyes remain locked as Sho's body reacts to the sensations. It’s been too long for him, and he’s certain Matsumoto senses it. Perhaps his patience is partly caused by Sho’s inexperience.  
  
Matsumoto applies more oil to his fingers, coating each copiously, then Sho feels him add another one. He mashes his face against the pillows as he cries out because of the stretch, and he chokes out a moan when Matsumoto's fingers begin scissoring slowly.  
  
Sho clenches instinctively, and Matsumoto strokes his thigh reassuringly with his other hand. "Breathe," he tells Sho once more. "I have no wishes to hurt you."  
  
Biting his lip before nodding, Sho wills himself to relax. He focuses on the feeling of being stretched by two fingers, his toes curling when Matsumoto crooks his digits experimentally. A little more and he would have hit it; Sho knows he must be deliberately avoiding it.  
  
He bunches the sheets in his hands, bucking back a little to the slow pistoning of digits in and out, until he's adjusted enough that he can open his eyes, searching for Matsumoto's in the dark.  
  
Matsumoto watches him with interest and barely repressed lust, his eyes glinting at the mere sight of Sho coming apart and Sho can't help clenching around him as a response.  
  
"More," Sho says with a hiss, hoping it's enough. He needs more than the stretch of two fingers, already imagining how it would feel to have Matsumoto in him, hard and thick and sheathed deeply. It makes him moan and voice out his request again. "More."  
  
His request is granted without much ceremony, and he throws his head back once he feels the firm press of a third digit. It slips inside easily, sliding in and out for a few moments until Sho's sufficiently adjusted. Just when Sho thinks he's getting used to the sensation of Matsumoto's fingers fucking him, Matsumoto curls his forefinger while the other two resume scissoring, and Sho groans, low, hips lifting off the mattress.  
  
A hand immediately clamps around his hip, stroking soothingly. Sho's falling apart, feeling fire in his veins and seeing white behind his eyelids, and he can only whisper hushed breaths of "please" to say that he's more than ready.  
  
As a response, Matsumoto suddenly crooks his fingers, grazing his prostate, and Sho snaps his eyes open, letting out a surprised moan.  
  
Burying the side of his face against the pillows, Sho nearly sobs from being teased so wonderfully. His cock lies hard and heavy against his stomach, leaking and neglected. His skin burns, craves, and thirsts for more than just fingers, and he tries to convey that by clenching and bucking back, a low whine spilling from his trembling lips.  
  
"Ready?" is Matsumoto's question, and Sho wants to hit him for sounding so smug but couldn't, not when the man's fingers are continuously stretching him, preparing him thoroughly.  
  
So instead Sho hisses a series of yes, arching and clawing at the sheets. If Matsumoto doesn't fuck him any moment now he thinks he'll lose it. He needs to feel him, and he lets out a breath when Matsumoto draws his fingers out slowly, but not before crooking them once more and making him sob.  
  
He hears Matsumoto slicking himself up, then he feels a hand on his forehead. Sho opens his eyes and sees Matsumoto looking at him.  
  
"Relax," he says, and Sho rolls his eyes.  
  
"Come on," is his response, raising his ass invitingly in Matsumoto's direction. He can feel the blunt head of the man's cock poking him, and Sho wants him to simply push inside and get it done with.  
  
Matsumoto kisses the corner of his mouth. "Impatient as ever." He sounds pleased. Then he shifts, hands gripping the back of Sho's thighs. His other hand is cold against Sho's skin, slick and wet from stretching Sho so thoroughly.  
  
Their eyes meet, and Matsumoto orders, "Moan for me."  
  
Then he's in, pushing inside with no preamble and Sho does moan, does it so loudly that Keiko-chan would surely hear it if she's in the house. Not that he remembers her; all he can focus on at present is how Matsumoto fills him completely.  
  
He clings to Matsumoto's biceps, scratching at the skin as he adjusts to the intrusion. Matsumoto's certainly bigger than the stretch of his fingers, and Sho has to take a couple of moments to even out his breathing.  
  
Matsumoto rains kisses on his clavicle as a distraction, still not moving despite being buried to the hilt. He waits until Sho's relaxed, ‘til Sho wraps his legs around his thighs and arches. Suddenly, Matsumoto shifts, hitting Sho's prostate and making him cry out.  
  
There's a thumb stroking his eyebrow, wiping away the sweat that accumulated there. When Sho opens his eyes, Matsumoto's looking down at him. Sho kisses him before ordering him to move.  
  
He can practically feel Matsumoto's grin against his mouth.  
  
Matsumoto balances himself on his forearms before pulling back and thrusting shallowly and slowly, letting Sho feel every inch of his cock. Sho drags his nails across the muscled arms and Matsumoto hisses, retaliating by snapping his hips sharply.  
  
Sho's ankles rest at the small of Matsumoto's back, drawing the man further in. Sho clenches; Matsumoto lets out a breath. Sho bucks; Matsumoto pulls out only to push back in, Sho's moan of pleasure lost between their joined mouths.  
  
Matsumoto's hot mouth drags across Sho's face, lingering wetly at his cheek till he eventually reaches Sho's earlobe, trapping the cartilage between his teeth and tugging. Sho's hands cling to Matsumoto's shoulder blades, rocking back against each thrust. The bed moves along with them, the headboard hitting the wall with each snap of Matsumoto's hips which gradually grows more desperate, movements becoming almost erratic.  
  
Matsumoto pulls out until only the head of his cock is inside, placing his hands on the back of Sho's knees, spreading his legs wider. Sho bunches the sheets in his fists as Matsumoto resumes thrusting, the pace back to slow and maddening, like he truly wishes for Sho to beg for it.  
  
Sho's hand travels in an attempt to fist his cock, finding that if Matsumoto doesn't make him come then he'll gladly take care of himself, but he's stopped by a hand circling his wrist.  
  
"No," is the demanding voice that makes Sho open his eyes, and he looks at Matsumoto in combined exasperation and frustration. "Don't touch yourself."  
  
Sho almost glares at him, but he settles for clenching his inner muscles around Matsumoto, grinning when the man bites his lower lip as a reaction. Even in the dark, Sho can see the mole under his lip. "Then impress me," he challenges, angling his hips upward to accommodate more of Matsumoto's cock.  
  
Lust flashes before Matsumoto's eyes. He shoves Sho's wrist away with a warning of "Don't you dare touch yourself" before cupping the back of Sho's knees and thrusting sharply, each snap harder and more relentless.  
  
Sho's crying out, not particularly caring if someone can hear him, then Matsumoto muffles most of his choked moans by clamping a hand over Sho’s mouth. Sho bites his palm as he tries to meet each thrust, then Matsumoto shifts his grip, orders him to suck on the fingers, something he does with eagerness.  
  
Sufficiently wet, Matsumoto's hand slides down his body before wrapping around his cock, stroking expertly in tandem with each thrust. Sho keens, losing himself to the sensations, and when Matsumoto places one of his legs against his shoulder, he whimpers.  
  
Sho reaches between them, his hand landing on top of Matsumoto’s around his cock. Matsumoto stretches over his body, bending Sho's leg far enough that his knee is close to his ear. Sho muffles his groans against the man’s neck, lips landing on the throbbing pulse and sucking on instinct as he bucks back to each thrust. The angle is letting him get fucked deeper, and Sho's close, so close. His hand urges Matsumoto on by squeezing the wrist, silently pleading for him to keep stroking and never stop.  
  
Matsumoto pulls out abruptly and Sho gasps, but before he can ask, he’s immediately flipped to his stomach. Matsumoto swats at the back of his thighs, a wordless order for him to put his weight on his knees.  
  
“Keep your hands on the mattress,” is the next thing he hears, and his cock twitches at the gravelly tone. It takes a few moments but he finally manages to assume the position Matsumoto wants: hands under the pillows he has his head on, ass raised high in the air, Matsumoto’s long fingers stroking and patting his sides encouragingly.  
  
There’s a wet mouth traveling from the base of his spine to the tip of his shoulder, a hand squeezing his ass cheek. “Good,” Matsumoto praises, a genuine one despite his tendency to mock and tease. “Very good.”  
  
The tip of his cock is poking Sho, and Sho tries to push back to feel him back inside. He gets a light slap on the cleft of his ass for that. “Impatient. We have all night.”  
  
Sho’s so turned on he can’t hear much else aside from Matsumoto’s husky voice and his thundering heartbeat. He can’t feel anything other than his heavy and needy cock, the emptiness Matsumoto created when he pulled out. He’s desperate and aching and downright pathetic, but his need to come overrides his pride. He suddenly remembers one of the vivid imageries the incubus has shown him, one that has him lying on his stomach and panting, writhing in denied pleasure and close to begging.  
  
This one isn’t too different from that.  
  
Matsumoto leaves a wet trail on his spine and Sho pushes back, needing more. If he could say it, he would. But he’s reduced to a mess of moans and choked breaths, practically controlled by every stroke of Matsumoto’s fingers, every flick of his talented tongue.  
  
Sho feels a hand snake around his neck, wrapping but not squeezing, then Matsumoto pushes in and resumes fucking him. A thumb wanders to his mouth and Sho eagerly sucks, hips trying to meet each thrust. Matsumoto has given up the teasing, every smack of his hips against Sho’s ass echoing in the room, an odd little chorus accompanied by Sho’s slightly muffled groans and the constant banging of the headboard against the wall.  
  
Matsumoto breathes out his name, one hand leaving bruises on his hip as he moves faster, each thrust going a little deeper given their position. Sho can only meet him, pushing his ass back, and his name falls freely from Matsumoto’s lips followed by a hiss. The hand on his neck loosens, skims across his shoulder blade and descends. It snakes around his waist to grasp his cock and pumps, and a particularly brutal squeeze is what makes Sho come, dirtying the sheets under him.  
  
He throws his head back and lets out a hitched sob, his mind a litany of _finallyfinallyfinally_ and he gasps in surprise when Matsumoto’s hand moves to his hair and pulls, exposing his throat. Matsumoto has lost his rhythm now, thrusting mindlessly and chasing after his own pleasure, and Sho can only groan at the pain in his hair and at the sensation of being thoroughly used.  
  
He groans in response when Matsumoto whispers his name one last time, pulling out and releasing all over his ass and thighs. The fierce grip on his hair slackens and he collapses, panting heavily against the sheets.  
  
Sho gets rolled to his back, a strong push he had no idea what was the source of, and he can only blink hazily as Matsumoto drops a kiss to his sweaty forehead. He can only lie there and pant, waiting as exhaustion takes over, threatening to knock him out.  
  
“Sleep,” is what Matsumoto tells him and his body somehow obeys, and the last thing Sho sees is the strange way Matsumoto looks at him.  
  
\--

It’s the smell that wakes Sho up.

He sits up immediately, looking around in panic. He’s alone in Matsumoto’s room, but the scent is overwhelming to the point there’s no denying it.  
  
It terrifies him to check, but he needs to know the truth.  
  
Palpating his neck reveals nothing but smooth skin, but his relief is short-lived when he catches the edges of an already familiar sigil on his right hip. He knows he’s screwed, that Nino will have his head as soon as he finds out.  
  
Sho’s pretty certain Keiko’s aware, because the odor of sulfur blankets the room that he can’t give any excuses. No wonder he was initially bothered by Matsumoto’s presence, a slight curiosity that quickly turned to something more. How is it that he didn’t see it?  
  
He rubs at his eyes using the heels of his palms, frustrated and angry with his own inadequacy and weakness. Not only did he fail in his mission, he also let his assignment have his way with him. And he’d been all too willing last night, aching and desperate for it.  
  
It explains why Matsumoto never gave his name. The Matsumoto is one of the many lies he fed Sho until he had whatever it was he was after. Sho’s not certain because even though he’s marked (it was inevitable, considering last night’s events), there are no punctures anywhere on his neck.  
  
He hurriedly gets off the bed, pulling on his trousers and dashing to the next room to dress properly. He doesn’t bother for a bath, knowing that time is of the essence and if he wants answers, he should come and get them. His target cannot leave town, after all. Sho may have screwed up, but that was one thing he ensured.  
  
Keiko looks at him with an expression he can’t name when Sho finds her in the living room. Instead of anything disapproving though, she merely says, “He was gone when I got back, and when I checked, I smelled it.”  
  
Somehow, that irrationally makes Sho angry. It’s not her fault, but his frustration over his own mistake overrides his reason. “And you didn’t wake me up even if you knew?”  
  
She levels him with a look. “As the watcher in this town, part of my job is to determine if he ever touched anyone else. I should be reporting to Nino now, but one of his orders was to let you handle it. Was that wrong of him to ask for?”  
  
Sho feels insulted, but Keiko’s question is justified given his actions. “He’s still in town. I made sure of that. I’m on my way to find him.”  
  
He steps past her, making his way to the door. “What should I tell Nino?” Keiko asks, concern obvious in her voice. Despite Sho’s rudeness, she’s still worried about him.  
  
Sho understands why. He’s on his way to face a classified level 00. Albeit weakened for not feeding off anyone since Nie, a demon is still a demon. They’re otherworldly, infinitely stronger than humans in their true form. Seeing as Sho has sealed off the only exit to the town, he supposes that’s where he is, waiting.  
  
“Tell him I’m on my way to finish this,” Sho says with finality, and when he taps on the link in his head, he finds it willing and open. He receives a view of Yomi’s tree, the same tree he and Matsumoto first stood under when they came to the town.  
  
Sho shakes his head to dismiss the sentimentality. That’s not his name, he reminds himself. He lied to you, used you, had his way with you. He doesn’t belong in this plane.  
  
He makes his way out, pushing away any remnants of attachment he may have felt towards Matsumoto. He’s not a potential recruit anymore, no longer a fellow hunter.  
  
He’s Sho’s target, always has been, and Sho will see to it that he’ll fix the mess he made.  
  
\--  
  
Sho finds him standing at the center of the entrapment spell, something he must’ve detected given his skills but chose to deliberately walk into.  
  
Sho doesn’t understand.  
  
He’s as beautiful as Sho remembers when he turns. Now that he’s in the middle of the pentagram, signs of weariness have become evident on his handsome face. There are no passersby to oversee what’s happening, something Sho supposes to be Keiko’s doing. It’s her job to keep people out by notifying the authorities that an extermination is bound to happen soon, especially since this is the highest classified level they’ve all seen in a long while.  
  
Sho wants to say a lot of things. He’s angry because he’s hurt and also annoyed with himself, at his display of weakness at the crucial moment. He balls his hands to fists and vows that he won’t be weak now, not when his assignment is right before his eyes and only awaiting banishment.  
  
“How is Kitagawa Keiko?” Matsumoto, no, the demon, asks when Sho’s close enough and standing at the edge of the pentagram. His voice is in the same collected tone Sho has gotten used to associating with him.  
  
“On her way to report a banishment,” Sho answers, not masking his anger and determination.  
  
The demon hums, a tiny smile on his full lips. He exhales, tension obvious on his shoulders, and briefly Sho wonders how he manages to keep it together. He must be weaker than he looks, thirsty and barely keeping his feet on the ground. “I see,” he says conversationally, turning to Sho and spreading his arms. “Do what you will.”  
  
“You lied to me.” Sho can’t suppress the edge in his voice, the accusation coming unbidden. Before he banishes this one, he must have answers. There are many things he needs to know before he finally sends this one back to limbo.  
  
The demon’s lips twitch, and Sho remembers how it felt to touch every mark around his mouth. He takes a deep breath before answering, his voice measured. “I have never lied to you.”  
  
Sho’s anger bubbles up, molten and ready to scorch anything on its path. “Yes, yes you have. You made me believe that you're a hunter, a freelance one at that, someone who's after the same thing.”  
  
He darts a glance to the ground, checking if his rune work is still in effect. Satisfied that it is, his eyes snap back to the demon’s. They’re still the same brown eyes Sho remembers losing himself into.  
  
The demon appears amused. “No, I have not done those. You assumed that, gave meaning to my words on your own. Do you not remember what I said to you when you offered me your name?”  
  
Sho’s eyes narrow as he thinks, and he feels as if he was doused with cold water at the realization.  
  
_Everybody knows your name from where I came from._  
  
“Then, do you not remember what I said to you by the fire, the truth about my arrival in Nie?”  
  
It dawns on Sho once more as he recalls embers dancing in Matsumoto’s brown orbs, at the way his skin glowed thanks to the crackling fire.  
  
_I have to show up first to have a bit of fun._  
  
Sho’s speechless at the onslaught of realizations, but his target pushes. “When you challenged me with food laid before us, do you not remember what I said?”  
  
Sho does, and his mouth forms the words unconsciously. “‘Wait ‘til you see me move,’” he quotes, and the demon nods.  
  
“When you asked to see what I do around the town, do you not remember what I told you?”  
  
The first thing Sho remembers were the apples and how each were eaten sensually in front of him, but looking back, he recalls it clearly. “Sometimes you partake in what they have to offer,” he whispers.  
  
“Do you see now?” There’s nothing accusatory in his tone. “I have never lied to you about any of my intentions, not even once.”  
  
Sho wills his voice not to crack. “You said you were waiting for me in Yomi.”  
  
“And I was,” is the almost cocky reply. It would have sounded smug if the demon was in his full strength, but the longer he remains standing inside Sho’s trap, the weaker he becomes. “Did I not wait?” His eyes narrows, and for the first time, Sho sees how they gradually lose their brownness, giving way to a brighter, coppery shade.  
  
No human possesses eyes like that.  
  
“I waited for you to come to me,” he tells Sho. Sho’s spellwork is powerful, done meticulously and executed precisely, and the proof is the gradual washing away of the demon’s disguise. Soon, Sho will see his true form. “And you did not disappoint. You came to me last night, and it was the night my waiting has come to an end.”  
  
Choosing not to comment on that, Sho points out, “Lying by omission is still lying.” He watches as the glamour begins to fall off, revealing very pale, porcelain-like skin. When he looks down, he sees sharp, claw-like nails on each finger.  
  
“I have not omitted anything. You never asked.”  
  
Yes, Sho supposes his misses pile up in multitudes. He was never the type to pry, and now he’s paying sorely for it. This is a confrontation he never expected to have in his life, in his career as a demon hunter. Maybe Nino was right that he wasn’t up for this.  
  
He looks at the demon he once knew as Matsumoto, staring as his clothes get singed by the heat his body is emanating, the air cracking around them. A clear sign of the disruption of the balance. He doesn’t belong to this side, and the longer he spends in it, the more upset the plane of dimensions becomes.  
  
“You could have drained me last night,” Sho says. His earlier anger has ebbed away, and he feels empty as he continues watching the progressive transformation that’s happening right before him. “Could have done it to the point that you’d be replenished and I’d be dead at your feet.”  
  
He receives an acknowledging nod for that. “True.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you?” I was vulnerable, Sho doesn’t say, aware that they both know it. I was right there, willing and open, and you didn’t.  
  
“Get this over and done with,” comes the hoarse croak. Sho’s entrapment and binding is in full effect, making each form of speech difficult and any attempt to move strained. “Banish me back to limbo. You have me now. You only my need my name, yes?”  
  
Despite his obvious efforts to keep his voice steady, his posture is still perfect. He stands in the center of Sho’s runes on the ground, toes turning to sharp talons to match his claw-like fingers, the tips of his ears lengthening to a pointed edge. His face is almost the same as his disguise, except for the ichor in his eyes and the small fangs. His hair is as dark as coal, falling to the sides of his face and accentuating the paleness of his skin.  
  
Sho is finally seeing the demon in his true form, and Sho must be damned for he finds him even more alluring, a temptation within reach.  
  
“Answer my question,” Sho says sternly, hoping he won’t give away anything.  
  
The demon shuts his eyes briefly, twisting his neck in an effort to resist the effects of the binding. He must be in pain, his thirst searing through him along with the sapping of his remaining energy thanks to the runes around his feet. “I refuse.”  
  
Sho frowns, clenching his jaw to control his temper. “Answer it,” he demands.  
  
Bright, nearly golden eyes snap back to his. “I have answered your question, Sakurai Sho.”  
  
“What?”  
  
He hears a mocking laughter. Despite his state, he can still find it in him to laugh at Sho’s expense. Any other demon would have succumbed by now, would be kneeling and seething, snarling at him in demon tongue. “You asked why I did not feed off you, why I chose to become weaker and weaker as each second passes by and become eventually cornered and trapped. The answer to your question is that I refuse.”  
  
Sho’s confusion builds up. “Why?” he can only ask, somehow wishing he didn’t use his strongest spell. Something clenches in his chest at the sight of him resisting, suffering, barely able to hold it together.  
  
“Did I not tell you? I only wished to play with you. I never said I intended to harm you in any way.”  
  
That, Sho remembers clearly. ‘I have no wishes to hurt you,’ was what he said the night before.  
  
“You marked me,” Sho says, and that earns him a toothed grin. He catches the demon darting a glance to his hip.  
  
“Yes, that was inevitable,” is the clipped response, an obvious effort to keep it together. “You did come to me last night.”  
  
Swirls begin to appear up the demon’s arms, signs of the binding spell taking hold. Sho can only watch, rooted to where he stands and feeling absolutely conflicted. His mission was to send this demon back from whence it came. It sounded fairly easy more than a month ago. Now that he’s here, so close to victory, he finds that he cannot say the words.  
  
The demon before him is now showing signs of pain in his strong, handsome face, wincing and blinking as he takes one ragged breath after another. “Six million gold coins within your reach, the promise of widespread fame for exterminating someone of my calibre, someone who remained on this plane for three Earth months,” the demon informs him, as if he has forgotten. “Your pride as a hunter from the Lotus on the line if you do not ask for my name.”  
  
Sho wants to know, but he’s afraid of what he can do once he obtains it.  
  
Sigils start forming around the demon’s bony elbows, marks of entrapment and preparation for banishment combining. Sho only needs his name to finish the task, and they both know it.  
  
Still, he declines to open his mouth.  
  
The demon winces, hissing through his pointed teeth. His small horns have finally surfaced, tiny bumps on his forehead that indicate where he truly belongs. “If you persist with this silence I will have to do it for you,” he says to Sho impatiently, and Sho freezes as he takes a long breath. Probably one of his very last.  
  
“My name,” he whispers,almost golden eyes never straying from Sho’s gaze, “is Jun.”  
  
The air cracks between them, signalling that Sho has now complete power over him, that his life is in Sho’s hands. Sho repeats the name in his head, trying to get used to saying it. Jun. It’s Jun whom he has touched, tasted, and kissed. Jun who teased him so relentlessly last night, turned him desperate and wanton only to satisfy him beyond compare. Jun whom he has had competitive bouts with, sometimes full of camaraderie and often full of underlying meanings.  
  
“And so do what you must. You have won,” Jun acknowledges. Both of his arms are covered with symbols now, his eyes dimming their brightness a little.  
  
Sho takes a step towards him, and one more until it’s only his rune work that separates them from each other. He can still see Matsumoto underneath the real form, the stubborn hunter guise he has been made to believe for weeks. Even if it was all some cruel farce, Jun never wished him harm. He was playful, yes, and while he did ravage towns before Sho finally has him like this, he has never killed anyone by harnessing their libido completely.  
  
And he most certainly didn’t kill Sho nor take advantage of him.  
  
Sho extends a hand past the runes, the tip of his middle finger nearly touching Jun’s alabaster skin. It was a daring move to cross the pentagram, something they both know. If this demon wants to harm him for one last time, now is his chance.  
  
“Jun,” he says, and the demon’s shoulders tense, bracing itself for the banishment. The words flow easily in Sho’s head: I banish you from this land and this dimension altogether in this time and send you back to that chasm from whence you came. This banishment should last as long as a drop from my bloodline survives. These are the words he knows by heart.  
  
Their eyes meet, and Sho has made up his mind.  
  
“I release you from the entrapment and the binding.”  
  
The symbols on his arms vanish as the runes on the ground fade, the sands beside each character swirling before covering them, the soil reverting back to undisturbed ground.  
  
“What have you done?” Jun asks breathlessly, his eyes wide and disbelieving. He would never be as beautiful as he is now, Sho thinks.  
  
“I released you,” he mumbles, stepping back.  
  
Jun remains in his true form, a few paces away from where Sho stands. Right now, Sho’s the vulnerable one. No spell at his disposal, no countermeasure whatsoever. Jun may be weakened given his refusal to partake in anything, but he’s still a demon and someone infinitely stronger than Sho will ever be.  
  
Jun can kill him with a finger to his throat and he wouldn’t even know till it’s too late, till he’s bleeding profusely on the ground, waiting as the air finally leaves his lungs.  
  
“You were not supposed to do that,” Jun says, and Sho can only smile a little.  
  
“No, I wasn’t.” He tilts his chin up at Jun. “And yet, who are you to say that to me? Shouldn’t you be grateful? That I spared your life?”  
  
Jun moves, lightning fast and Sho only senses it when there’s a firm hand around his throat, sharp nails at the sides of his neck. His back hits the tree, the frame of the tattered map of Yomi digging into his spine. His feet are off the ground, dangling; Jun has him up by a few inches. He must weigh like nothing in his hands.  
  
“Your job was to banish me for good,” he all but snarls at Sho, eyes narrowing.  
  
The hand doesn’t squeeze his windpipe so he can still speak. He places both hands around Jun’s forearm, finding his skin scalding to the touch. “Yes, and I refused.”  
  
He gets hoisted higher. Behind him, the wooden frame of the town map shatters. “Fool, you had your chance. I can kill you.” The fingers around his neck tighten fractionally, sharp nails drawing little blood as they lightly pierce his skin. “I can crush you with my bare hands.”  
  
Sho has no idea where his confidence is coming from despite the fact that he’s toeing between life and death. “But you won’t because you don’t wish to hurt me. You never said you did.”  
  
Jun bares his teeth at him, his eyes narrowing. “I can say it now.”  
  
“But you won’t because it will be a lie. You never lied to me and you won’t start now,” Sho gasps, keeping his hands on Jun’s forearm. Most of his weight is supported by the tree trunk, though he’s still hoisted a couple of feet from the ground.  
  
There’s confusion and disbelief in Jun’s eyes, adding to the intensity of his features. It only makes him more compelling to Sho, more alluring. “What do you want from me, human? I have given you everything you have ever wanted: the challenge you sought, the promise of popularity that will spread far and wide. I have catered to your basest desires, given you my true name. What more do you want?”  
  
Between the unforgiving oak against Sho’s back and the unyielding, uncontrollable force that is Jun in front of him, Sho has never felt more trapped. The truth lies at the tip of his tongue, something he wishes to freely give, having no strength to deny anything anymore. He has failed. He cannot and likely will not banish Jun. He can’t hide anything anymore, cannot put up with the act.  
  
In his life, he has never felt more tested. And this time, he loses.  
  
“Can you not tell? In your weakened state, you can still tell, can’t you? Why I spared your life, why I turned my back from my guild?” Sho’s betrayal rings at the back of his head, and as early as now he’s asking for Nino’s forgiveness. This is a mission he cannot accomplish, a promise he cannot deliver on.  
  
Jun’s eyes narrow, and suddenly he teleports them both back to the guild house, in the same room that still has the lingering scent of sulfur.  
  
Sho hears Keiko-chan’s footsteps as he remains pressed against the wall, Jun’s hand still on his neck. The door shuts and bolts itself, a demonstration of Jun’s abilities as a demon, and he can hear Keiko’s frantic knocking followed by calls of his name.  
  
“Stay away, Keiko-chan!” he shouts with all his might, never breaking away from Jun’s stare. Sho doesn’t know if Jun’s fondness for Keiko is all an act, and the only way he can keep her safe is by telling her to stay out of the way. “Let me handle this!”  
  
The knocking stops, and it’s immediately followed by “I’ll trust you but I’m telling Nino,” and they both hear her walking away in haste. Jun turns back to him, an eyebrow raised.  
  
“Say it,” he tells Sho, pushing Sho against the wall for emphasis. “Say what you want. I need to hear it.”  
  
The admission burns on Sho’s tongue. It’s right there before his eyes, just within reach, but he wants to deny it so he can claim he’s still who he is, that his reputation is more than hearsay. And yet the truth is between them like a trap waiting to be sprung and as soon as Sho opens his mouth he knows it’s over.  
  
“You,” he gasps out, “I just want you.”  
  
Jun releases him, and hot hands slide over the sides of his face as soon as his feet hit the ground, Jun’s mouth moves to claim his with an animalistic, possessive growl.  
  
Sho surrenders, trying to keep up, even though Jun’s got him trapped between his body and the wall. He loses himself in it, considering himself beyond the point of return.  
  
Nino will kill him.


	7. Ex-demon Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a change of POV in this chapter, and only for this one. The next ones will be back on Sho's POV.

Retirement, Nino discovers, has its ups and downs.

One of the biggest downs was him giving up the thrill of hunting. He liked his job. He enjoyed traveling from place to place with Sho, taking up jobs that nobody wanted to because either the pay was too low or the assignment was too dangerous.

He first met Sakurai Sho in a tavern, perusing job ads as he sipped his cheap ale. Nino just slid into his booth, not bothering with excusing nor introducing himself. When Sho lifted one skeptical eyebrow at him, Nino only pointed at the classified level 3 ad under the man’s fingertips with a twitch of his lips.

“You after that one?” he asked. Ever since Nino got into the business, he liked to procure knowledge before making his move. That included knowing his potential competitors so he’d know if he should just give up on the job or show what he got.

Sho looked at him seriously then, a challenge evident in his features. “As a matter of fact, yes.”

At that time, he and Sho were younger and less experienced than they are now, so they ended up collaborating in order to finish the job. They split the pay 50-50, and just when Sho was about to take his leave, Nino proposed partnership until that side of the continent ran out of demons to banish.

What was once a temporary arrangement became their business together, the both of them performing complementary roles. They earned more than they did compared to when they went solo, and they exhausted less of their supplies and funding as they went from one hunt to another.

All in all, Nino liked hunting, and he liked doing it with Sho by his side. His job extended to sweet talking people, milking their worth because he and Sho only deserved the best after delivering so perfectly and promptly (ever since their level 3 partnership they never failed in anything they chose to work on). Sho sometimes shot him looks of disapproval whenever they ended up getting more than the posted reward, but he never really complained because he was richer than he had ever been.

What Sho sometimes referred to as extortion, Nino called negotiation. It’s a tough business, after all.

The ups included the fact that he could ask for a percentage from all of his guild members to fund the Lotus, and none of those members would complain (Sho was the only one who ever did, but he’s Sho so Nino allows him to do that; it’s kind of cute to see him worked up). It’s a 70-30 partition, and since Nino’s damn good at training capable hunters, the thirty percent that he ends up getting is usually more than enough. He has seen the rise and fall of so many hunters, and the moment he thought of starting Lotus, he vowed he’d do anything to keep those under his guild far from such downfall.

In a way, Nino views his guild mates as his family, and their guild house in Tenjin as his home.

It’s part of his job to recruit watchers and informants, to judge the character and potential of an aspiring hunter. Most of Nino’s hunter recruits were former freelances: adept at extermination and extortion but awful at following rules. Hence, it also became Nino’s job to make sure they adhered to the guild’s policies and never tarnished the Lotus’ good name. He didn’t work so hard and give up his career for a smudge in their record.

So when Sho tells him that he needs Nino up in the north, in Yomi as soon as possible, Nino panics despite his reputation as a capable guild master.

He immediately orders Becky to track Sho’s movements down (he has never ordered Becky in his life; he values his life but this is Sho they’re talking about here) and when Becky tells him that Sho’s in so deep, meaning he’s untraceable and is likely too far gone, Nino blames himself.

He shouldn’t have sent Sho alone. He should have been there by Sho’s side, not here in Tenjin and adding red stars to high-paying job ads that get refreshed thrice a week. He shouldn’t be sitting behind his desk and offering his palm out to ask for the usual thirty percent whenever a hunter comes up to his office after a job well done.

He should have been looking out for Sho.

Nino doesn’t waste time. He appoints Becky as the temporary guild master in his absence, with Aiba as the acting vice. Anything that happens in the guild, be it a word of a successful hunt or an applicant for any position in the guild, they will have to go through Becky’s approval. He packs light, already counting the days.

He needs two weeks to reach Nie and a day more to Yomi, but if he shells out more than a fraction of his savings, it’d take him less to be there.

“Don’t you think you’re being too rash?” Becky asks as she watches him sheath his trusted dagger into its hilt. It’s a weapon that has been with him through thick and thin. “We still don’t know what happened to him. He has spoken with you. He’s clearly not injured nor under the influence. You would know if he was.”

That’s true. Nino has been in the business long enough to know how the influenced look like. Sho looked nothing like that. If anything, he seemed desperate and helpless, because otherwise he wouldn’t call for Nino, someone who’s mountains and villages away.

“He needs me,” Nino says. He doesn’t elaborate. His relationship with Sho began with a rivalry that turned into friendship, and if something happens to Sho because of this mission Nino allowed him to go to alone, Nino would feel like he lost a brother.

He can’t let that happen.

“I know he does,” Becky acknowledges. This is something Nino likes about Becky, that she doesn’t question people’s motives and feelings. Maybe it’s part of her psychic abilities, that she simply understands. “But you haven’t been hunting for years. This is the strongest classified level we’ve had even before you went into retirement.”

Ah, Nino thinks, coming to a realization. She’s worried about them both.

“I may be out of touch, Becky,” he says, strapping his leather pouch to his belt, the gold inside it jingling, “but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable. I trained more than half of the A-class hunters we have here. If that demon has harmed Sho-chan in any way, I can promise you I will send him back to limbo and ensure that he can’t return by perpetuating my bloodline.”

Nino has almost lost Sho three years ago. He’s not going to lose Sho this time nor ever, not if he can still move his limbs and chuck a dagger with accuracy.

Sho has always been the headstrong one, stubborn but polite and noble. His loyalty is something Nino has never had cause to doubt. Nino has always known Sho for his pride, but for him to chuck that pride away and downright ask for help (not just for help but for Nino specifically), something must have happened.

Sho didn’t tell him much. The connection was unstable and that only happened when a demon was close by so Nino fears the worst. Sho only told him to come as soon as he can, that this something he needs Nino for.

“No one else can help me,” Sho said. The only time Nino has seen that kind of desperation in Sho’s eyes was that time he almost died in Nino’s arms, his side bleeding and the scent of iron filling their senses.

Nino doesn’t want a repeat of that. The fact that he has Aiba under his guild reminds him of that every time. It’s strange that someone so jovial and friendly has connections to a near death experience in Nino’s memory.

He’s on his way out of his office when Becky speaks again. “You are aware that I can’t track you once you reach Yomi? That you’d be on your own by then?”

He understands that. Becky has constantly watched over Sho ‘til he reached the edge of the north. With the demon interfering with Becky’s skills, it soon became difficult to track Sho’s movements.

Nino has trusted Sho to do the right thing despite Becky’s constant worries.

And now, he’s starting to fear that Becky might be right and he may have been so very wrong.

“Yes,” he answers simply. This is Becky’s way of expressing her concerns, and Nino thinks it’s part of his job as a guild master to assure her that he knows what he’s doing.

At least, most of what he’s doing. What he’s about to do depends on what he’ll see in Yomi.

“I trust him with my life as much as he trusts me with his,” Nino says. He doesn’t know if it’s Becky or himself he’s trying to remind of what he believes to be true. “We go way back. If he’s gone as far as we both fear he might be, then I’ll do all I can to haul him back up.”

Nino’s mistake is leaving Sho to handle this on his own. He’s not going to make the same mistake.

He meets Becky’s eyes, seeing no judgment there, only understanding and resignation. “He’d do the same for me.”

Becky’s shoulders slump, then she sighs. “Then go rescue that idiot vice of yours.”

Nino smirks, placing a hand over his heart and giving her a small bow. “As you wish, guild master.” He turns, hand lingering on the door frame to his office. At the back of his mind is the nagging thought that there’s a chance he’ll never be here again. He can feel Becky still staring at him and he tilts his head briefly in her direction. “I leave everything to you.”

He trudges on, descending the stairs hastily. Aiba is already waiting for him at the guild’s entrance, behind him a bunch of Nino’s recruits and hunters.

“You better come back with Sho-chan,” Aiba says, already sounding a little teary as he hands over some of the supplies Nino personally requested. “I also included the disgusting thing that you like in there. I’ll be more than happy to brew it for you no matter how awful it tastes, just come back, okay?”

Nino smacks him lightly on the head for that. “It’s not disgusting. It’s sandalwood juice.” He slings Aiba’s leather pouch around his body. “Three weeks. If you hear nothing from me in that time…”

Aiba shakes his head. “I’m not accepting that. We’re not accepting that. You two are going to come back to Tenjin. We’ll wait for you.”

Nino catches movement in his periphery, seeing that Becky’s watching everything at the top of the stairs. “Can’t leave all of you under Becky’s dictatorship, huh?” he jokes, earning him an eyebrow from Becky and a bit of laughter from the other hunters.

He offers his palm to Aiba in farewell, the other man squeezing it fiercely. “Three weeks. Don’t concoct something potentially dangerous in my absence, Aiba-shi. I want to have a guild house to come back to.”

He shoots all of them his trademark salute, turning on his heel and heading out.

As Becky put it, he has an idiot vice to save.

\--

It takes him a week and three days to reach Nie, the appointed guild watcher Ohno Satoshi already waiting for him. Nino tasked Becky to send word for Ohno to expect him, and already Nino is considering appointing Becky as his vice in case Sho really fucked up.

“The last time we spoke,” Nino tells Ohno who leads him to the guild house they have in Nie, “you told me Sho-chan’s traveling with a freelance. What’s he like? I only remember you describing eyebrows, and while that was interesting, it doesn’t help our case here.”

Ohno pauses, obviously recalling. “Strong face. Broad shoulders. I always thought he stood out. Carried himself like a hunter but there’s something else I couldn’t pinpoint.”

Their eyes meet, and Ohno’s eyes narrow a little. “You’re not thinking…?” He trails off.

Nino doesn’t say anything, only makes his way to the guild house to replenish his supplies. Ohno has everything prepared, from food to water to extra clothes and hunting necessities. Nino only takes what he needs, stashing the items in his pouch and at different parts of his body. His coin pouch feels lighter on account of paying for a caravan in full that took him from Tenjin to Nie without stopping.

“You said the guy’s name was Matsumoto,” Nino says, looking around. Ohno keeps the guild house clean, not a single trace of cobwebs on the walls nor a speck of dust on any table surface. The only dusty part is the front of the fireplace, littered with ash from the night before.

Ohno hums in agreement. “That’s what Sho-kun said. You’ve never heard of him, have you?”

The name is not familiar to him and Nino hates himself for not looking it up. He was so elated with the idea of Sho considering partnership with someone that he let Sho do his thing.

For all they knew Matsumoto might have been the target all along.

He doesn’t bother replying to Ohno. Ohno’s too perceptive despite his sleepy demeanor, and Nino knows because he personally hired the man. He prides himself of being an excellent judge of character, that he can see through a person’s potential despite their appearances being misleading.

Ohno’s voicing out everything that’s plaguing Nino’s thoughts for days, and they both know Ohno needs no confirmation.

“I’m not resting,” Nino informs him. “Thank you for your hard work, Ohno-san. Rest assured that you’re still on my payroll for all the good work that you do here.” He makes his way to the door, Ohno right at his heels. “Yomi’s a day away, yes?”

Ohno nods. “You sure about going alone? Sho-kun did that too, and I’m not sure I’m willing to let two of my guild mates do the same now that there’s something up in Yomi. Something we don’t know and cannot underestimate.”

Nino smiles at his concern. He realizes he picked the really good ones from the bunch. They can all be smartasses when the situation calls for it, but when it counts, their concern over one member is undeniable. It fills him with pride, the fact that he was able to build such a relationship by simply hiring and recruiting.

“I’m still your guild master, Ohno-san,” he reminds the man, grinning. Ohno merely tilts his head at that, unaffected, and Nino smiles wider. It seems that he has employed a lot of defiant, hardheaded people, beginning from his appointed vice. “I’d rather risk myself than both of us. I need you to remain here, keep Becky updated. You are the Lotus’ guild watcher for Nie. As soon as I step out of the northern gates, I’m out of your jurisdiction. Save your worries for the occasional fish. The lake isn’t frozen yet, is it?”

Ohno seems surprised that Nino remembers his fondness for fishing. Nino smirks, glad that he’s able to prove that he’s sharp and absolutely not out of touch despite his retirement. He’s good with details, and even the minute ones, he remembers. “No, it isn’t. The other day I reeled in a mackerel.”

Nino descends the steps, turning to face Ohno with determination. He’d like to go back to this guild house if he can, preferably with Sho. He can see how Ohno worries for Sho despite their brief association, and that puts an idea in Nino’s mind. It’s not a promise, but for now it’ll have to do.

“Then when we come back down here from Yomi, prepare your best dish. I’d love to have dinner in this guild house. Bring along a friend if you have one.”

Ohno gets the hint, nodding, though he doesn’t look like he approves of Nino’s decision. It would take a lot to convince Ohno that he knows what he’s doing, Nino thinks. The watcher is too sharp. “Take care, Nino.”

He inclines his head in a gesture of farewell, feet making their way to the northern gates of Nie. It’s almost nightfall, but Nino has no wishes to stop. Adrenaline is coursing through him, the thrill of the hunt finally returning.

This is what he missed all these years. The exhilaration, the feel of his blood pumping, his focus on a single thing. It’s what gives his legs the strength to continue moving, walking eventually turning to hiking as the pathway grows steeper, bringing him closer to the mountains.

He’ll be in Yomi come morning if he doesn’t stop, and already Nino is plotting. He doesn’t know how to contact Sho and tell him that he’s there. The closer he gets to Yomi, the more impossible it becomes for Becky to lend him aid. Nino will have to rely on his own wit to find out what’s happening, why they can’t reach Sho and Keiko.

From what Nino remembers, he appointed Kitagawa Keiko as the watcher of Yomi because he saw a firmness in her demeanor. She’s capable, trustworthy, and takes her job seriously. Like most of those under Nino’s employment, her comments are often valuable and witty, someone who can make Sho blush in embarrassment.

Nino likes those kinds of people, those who can render Sho speechless because Sho’s too noble, too uptight, and too idealistic sometimes. It doesn’t take much to embarrass him, and it’s always a treat every time it happens. Nino enjoys having such people for guild mates.

It worries him now that Keiko can’t reach out to him. He’s positive she would have tried to do so, countless times at that. She wasn’t the type to easily give up. Something must be interfering with her trying to do her job, and Nino fears that something might be Sho himself, if Sho’s too far gone.

With each step he takes comes a prayer that Sho’s not under the influence in any way, that he’s still alive and Nino can still reach out and help him. Sho said it’s only him who can, and unlike Nino, he’s not prone to exaggeration.

Wait for me, he thinks desperately. He’s almost there.

\--

It’s Keiko who’s waiting for him at the town gates, the only entrance and exit. When Nino crosses the threshold, he senses the workings of Sho’s spells, still in effect and preventing the departure of any being not from this dimension. He’s positive the entire town is littered with similar spells.

What happened here?

“Where is he?” he asks Keiko. He hasn’t rested for two days, spending the entirety of yesterday hiking towards Yomi. The last time he slept was in the caravan that brought him to Nie, and even that was a fitful rest. He couldn’t shake off his worries, and they only intensified as he stood here in front of Keiko, who looks like she hadn’t slept a wink since Sho’s arrival in Yomi.

“In the guild house,” Keiko says. Nino turns to make his way there, somehow recalling where it is despite only seeing it once, but Keiko reaches for his elbow to still him. “Don’t be hasty. You don’t know what has happened. I’ve been here at the gates waiting for you as soon as Sho-kun told me you were on your way. I couldn’t reach you, neither of us could, and so I know that you don’t know anything about what happened.”

“And I’m about to find out,” he snaps. It’s the combined fear and exhaustion that makes him irritable, and he shoots a pointed glance at her hand around him.

She doesn’t let go. “You will, but not there. I’m not letting you step in the guild house. Let me call Sho-kun for you. It’s not advisable for you to be in the guild house.”

“I’m your guild master, Kitagawa-san,” Nino says carefully. On any other day he would refer to her as Keiko-chan, but not when she’s in his way. “And you’re telling me I’m not allowed in the guild house?”

Keiko moves to grip both of his shoulders, determination in her eyes. “I have worked too hard to let you and Sho-kun destroy whatever good name we managed to establish here. It’s because of me no word has gotten out yet. So you will do as I say, guild master, because unlike you, I know what I’m doing.”

Nino meets her piercing gaze for a few moments, suddenly thankful she’s not a witch like Becky or she could have turned him into a frog. He shrugs her hands off him. “Very well. I will wait here, but you better take Sho-chan here. I’m giving you an hour, and if you don’t manage to pull him out from whatever it is that you’re not telling me, I’m going in and you can’t stop me.”

“Fair enough,” she tells him, turning away. Nino watches her go until she goes around a corner and disappears, and it’s only then that he lets the exhaustion sink in.

He’s running on very little sleep, and while he’s not hungry because Ohno ensured that he had enough food, the rush is starting to fade away. His fear is doubling with each second that passes, his lack of knowledge adding to the anxiety. He had come all the way to the north without knowing anything, swan diving to Sho’s rescue. It could be a trap. It might be one if Sho’s beyond saving, and as much as Nino tried to push that thought out of his head, it lingers.

Now that he’s in Yomi, that becomes his biggest fear.

He leans his weight against one of the gate posts, evidence of Sho’s rune work lying a few feet away. It’s the strongest trapping spell they both know of. Sho’s spellwork has always been more intricate than Nino’s, and Nino’s certain that if the level 00 has stepped inside this massive circle, there’s no way he could escape.

Unless…

He shuts his eyes. He doesn’t know if he wants to demand answers from Sho the moment he sees him or punch him first. He may not know exactly what happened, but he’s starting to piece things. Being Nino, he’s hardly ever wrong. His assumptions often turn into valid deductions, and for once, he desperately wishes he’s merely overthinking things.

When Keiko shows up with Sho in tow some minutes later (Nino couldn’t tell exactly; he’s beginning to show signs of weariness that he can’t tell the time), Nino sighs out of relief, finally seeing for himself that Sho’s alive.

Keiko doesn’t step closer, instead inclines her head to give them privacy. “He’ll tell you,” is all she says, and Nino waits until Sho’s standing in front of him before he acquaints his left fist with Sho’s jaw.

“That’s for making me think you might be dead,” he says, not feeling the slightest bit sorry when Sho stumbles back, hand cupping his now sore jaw. “I haven’t slept for days, worried you might be drained and dead and that your last words to me were that only I can help you. I would have carried that to my grave, Sho-chan, that guilt of being too late, and that alone is a guarantee to an early death.”

Sho is clutching his jaw when he rights himself. Nino can’t name the look in Sho’s eyes. “You really came.”

Nino’s hand itches for his dagger, to chuck it at Sho for being so stupid. He’s here, isn’t he? Of course he came. “You called me all the way from Tenjin, looking desperate and helpless. I shouldn’t have let you do it alone. What happened this time? What have you done?”

Hopefully it’s something Nino can fix. He’s gifted with words, and aside from extermination his skills extends to knowing what to do. But until Sho tells him what has happened, he wouldn’t know what course of action to take.

“Tell me how can I help you,” he says. “You have to give me something, Sho-chan. I’m not apologizing for the punch if that’s what you’re waiting for. You had it coming. So just tell me what I went to Yomi for.”

“You’re going to kill me,” Sho says, and Nino frowns. Sho sounds so convinced. “But first, I need you to promise me that you’ll listen. If you want to punch me again, so be it. If you’d rather see your dagger somewhere in my body, that’s fine too. But please, Nino, listen to me first.”

Nino’s eyes narrow, then he steps closer. Sho steps back, and Nino inhales sharply. “Show me your neck,” he orders, every word laced with fear. If there’s something on Sho’s neck, if he’s got two punctures somewhere there, then Sho’s right.

Nino will kill him.

Sho obeys, baring his neck. Nino squints and inspects the flesh carefully, gradually calming down when he sees nothing. So the demon never fed off him. That’s a little comforting to know.

“Talk,” is Nino’s next order. Somewhere on his right, Keiko’s still watching them, probably standing by in case things got more serious. While Nino’s positive Sho would never hurt him, he can’t say the same for himself. It depends on what Sho’s going to tell him.

He takes a good look at Sho, and of the two of them, Sho looks like the one who hasn’t slept at all. While Nino’s fear has mostly dissipated to concern, Sho’s eyes only flit to meet his, never maintaining eye contact for too long.

He’s hiding something, Nino realizes.

Or someone.

Nino unsheathes the dagger from its holster on his thigh and hears Sho’s tiny gasp. He doesn’t look away from Sho’s watchful gaze when he chucks it on the nearby tree, embedding the blade against the trunk with a decisive thunk.

“I have this nagging feeling that I know what you’re about to tell me,” Nino informs him. Sho seems to brace himself at that, his jaw clenching. Nino has known long ago how to read Sho’s body language with accuracy. “So if it’s the knife you’re worried about, it’s there on the tree. Talk.”

What Sho says next makes Nino’s eyes widen. Around them, Yomi is a town of bleakness and cold, having very little activity that’s perhaps due to Keiko’s clever manipulation. The wind rustles, almost howling when it sears through the blades of the pine trees, but Nino takes no notice of it. He can hear nothing aside from Sho’s voice, can see nothing aside from the movements of Sho’s mouth.

He suddenly wishes he didn’t discard his trusted blade so easily.

\--

As soon as Sho’s done talking, Nino ignores him to speak directly to Keiko.

“You’re a watcher of the Lotus, yes?” he confirms, and she tilts her chin up at him in pride.

“I am.”

Nino nods. “Then do your duty and do as I say.” He approaches her, not paying any attention to Sho who’s hovering behind him. “Keep him away from the guild house. No matter what happens, he is not to step inside. I didn’t choose you just for your abilities to keep the town oblivious to what’s happening. I chose you because I know what you can do, and you told me you know what you’re doing.” Nino levels his gaze with hers, only continuing when she nods. “Then keep him out.”

“Understood,” Keiko says, stepping past him and grabbing Sho’s elbow without hesitation.

Sho is still shell-shocked, looking at him with disbelieving eyes, rooted to the spot. Between him and Nino lies the remnants of Sho’s rune work, effective spells that turned out to be useless in the hands of a fool. “Nino…”

“You will leave this to me.” He hates ordering Sho around, but his friend is currently beyond reason and will only interfere with what he’s about to do. “As your guild master, Sakurai Sho, you will stay out of this. You’ve done enough damage, being away from my supervision for too long. I’m giving Kitagawa-san the permission to stop you using any force necessary.”

He doesn’t turn back even when he hears Sho calling his name. He takes determined steps, relying on his memory to find the guild house of the Lotus. If what Sho told him is something he could still believe in, then the demon is in the guild house, lying in wait.

Probably waiting for Sho to return.

Well, Nino thinks, cracking his knuckles. He has waited too. Three years, in fact. Three long years of silence, no confrontation with a creature from limbo under his name.

He finds the guild house easily, the only house in town that has a little splash of color in it. Nino’s not even ten paces away from the steps when he smells the overwhelming odor of sulfur. Somewhere behind him, he can hear Sho and Keiko struggling. Keiko telling Sho to just come with her, Sho calling his name over and over.

Nino crouches on the ground and begins writing. Before he left Tenjin, Becky gave him a useful tip, something he has never tried in any of his hunts. Now is the time.

He scrawls, making each rune small enough not to be seen on first glance but just as effective as the ones Sho put close to the town gates. He uses all tricks he has learned over the years, obscuring his progress with deftness. It takes a while, but soon he has the entire house circled with an entrapment spell.

His back hurts from remaining crouched for so long, but he pays it no mind. He ascends the steps, hearing Sho’s voice plead behind him before he opens the door, the scent of sulfur nearly overwhelming him.

As soon as he’s inside, the door shuts on its own accord, a strong gust of wind blowing and toppling the melted candles on the dining room table, landing on the floorboards with a series of dull thuds.

He knows Nino’s here.

“You have nowhere to go,” Nino declares in the dark. Even if it’s still midday, the house is bathed in darkness, nothing too different from the town itself, with its lack of sunlight due to thick clouds despite the hour. He braces himself for any attack, but he left his dagger embedded to the tree to placate Sho earlier. He supposes he can only rely on his reflexes for now and hope he’s not that out of touch.

A figure appears in the corner of his eye, which quickly blends with the shadows. Nino can’t see him yet, but he knows someone’s there, can feel himself being watched. “You set up an entrapment spell around the house and masked it with a faint trail of packed sulfur,” the demon acknowledges. He doesn’t seem angry. “Clever.”

Nino inclines his head at the praise. “Something new I’ve learned from our resident witch. You are trapped inside this house, and I can easily banish you now that you’re in your true form.”

The incubus blinks, and Nino gets to see its almost golden eyes. “Then what’s stopping you from banishing me, Ninomiya Kazunari?”

Nino’s eyes narrow at that. Not even a minute of speaking to each other and it already knows his name. Most demons take a few minutes to penetrate the minds of whoever they’re speaking with. This one probably knew his name from the moment he opened the door and it noticed that he didn’t smell anything close to Sho.

“Curiosity,” Nino answers. There’s a pause and a certain stillness in the air, then the demon steps into full view, all alabaster skin and lean musculature. Clearly one of the most alluring ones Nino has ever seen, and he smiles despite the situation.

The demon tilts his head, his tiny horns gleaming. “Why the interest? Can’t stomach the possibility of your finest hunter finally brought to his knees? Can’t stand watching the great Sakurai Sho fail at what could have been the biggest accomplishment he can bring to your guild?”

Nino clenches one of his hands to a fist in an attempt to control himself. “You will cease taunting me, demon. Sho-chan is protecting you for some reason, and before I do something, I need to know what reason is. He’s my best friend. And I will do anything to make sure that he gets to walk away in one piece. On my pride as his best friend and guild master, I will pull every string at my disposal to make sure that if shit goes to pot, he will walk away.”

Nino decides to be bolder, taking a step closer. It’s just him and this demon now. As Nino’s eyes gradually adjust to the darkness, he can see how its eyes are perhaps not as bright as it ought to be. They still look inhuman, but not as intimidating as Nino deemed them to be at first. “So tell me, is he protecting you because you’re doing the same? He’s your target too, isn’t he? You lured him out all the way here and yet you yourself can’t bring him down to his knees.”

Otherwise you would’ve killed him already, Nino doesn’t say. There are many things he doesn’t understand, but he knows Sho’s an idiot. He at least wants to know why.

“His skin,” the demon whispers. “Have you seen it?”

Nino shakes his head. “I didn’t need to. I know what you did. I know what he let you do. He admitted it all to me.”

“Then you know that I touched him.” Nino can practically hear the amusement, the satisfaction, and most all, the pride. “I touched him countless times for these past few Earth days, and yet you still speak of me protecting him?”

Nino schools his features to nonchalance. “You did. You did touch him and he let you do so willingly, and while I’m close to banishing you to the depths of limbo right now, I won’t because you never, not even once, fed off him. Why? You could have drained him easily. You yourself are weakened because you haven’t fed off anyone, have you? You didn’t detect my spell until it was too late. You could have fed off Sho-chan when he threw himself at you and yet you didn’t.”

He hears a click of a tongue for that comment. Nino grins. He struck a nerve, and while he’s certain he’s toeing a fine line between life and death now, he’s not the one trapped so he keeps the smirk on his face.

“Have you come all the way to the north to mock me? I can still kill you with one hand. I’m infinitely stronger than you, than your kind, and while you do have me trapped so I cannot shapeshift, I can easily lift a finger and end you.”

Nino catches the glint of a sharp fingernail, claw-like in appearance, a firm reminder of what the demon can do. Nino simply raises an eyebrow. “And yet you won’t and we both know that. I’m not here to play games with you and threaten you. I’m here to talk.”

The demon straightens at that, its eyes narrowing as it processes what Nino just said. Nino tilts his head to gesture outside. “The entrapment spell is just to make sure that you get to listen to what I have to say.”

The demon takes measured steps, not coming closer to him but circling him. Nino remains where he is, standing and waiting. Nino can feel how strong it is despite its state, a force that doesn’t yield. “What are you asking, Ninomiya Kazunari?”

Now or never, Nino.

“Three things, if you’re truly willing to listen.” Nino steps forward, three paces away from the demon himself. The demon’s lips twitch at his boldness, but it says nothing. “If you are, we all walk away unscathed. You will have what you want, Sho-chan will have his, and I will probably die earlier than expected but hell, it might be worth it.”

The incubus looks at him with renewed interest, like he didn’t expect Nino to say such things. Nino wonders what kind of behavior did this creature see in Sho. Did Sho practically throw himself at his feet? Nino is suddenly embarrassed for his friend’s sake.

This is what happens when you let him go alone, he berates himself. He becomes a complete idiot who thinks with his dick.

“Very well,” the incubus acquiesces, crossing its arms. “You have my attention. Name them.”

Nino doesn’t look away from its almost luminescent eyes. “First, is that we have a resident witch at Tenjin.”

Recognition flashes over the demon’s face. “The one who found me.”

Nino smiles, pride swelling inside him. For such a formidable demon to remember Becky, he’s proud to be her guild mate and her guild master. “The very same. Now you know of her skill, of her talent. She’s certainly stronger than Sho-chan and me combined, if only she were a hunter. But she still cannot detect beings accurately when they’re as resilient and as playful as you, and for that she needs a hand, someone to guide her where to look.”

The demon’s mouth twitches, slightly revealing its small pointed teeth. “What are you proposing?”

Nino cannot prolong this. He knows that the demon knows what he’s getting at and is merely waiting for him to say the words. It doesn’t look like it’s patient. Nino marvels at its patience to have Sho on its bed, having to wait for weeks before Sho’s resolve crumbled. But apparently, that patience doesn’t extend to anything else. “That you go down from the mountains and come with me and Sho-chan to Tenjin. On the outside you will be a new recruit, a new addition to the guild. The true nature of your job will only be known to me, to Sho-chan, and to our resident witch.”

The demon’s nostrils flare, but Nino wills himself not to step back nor cower. Not now when this is all on him. “And betray my kind?” it seethes, fury rising in its expressive eyes. How did he look like in his shapeshifted form, the one he showed to Sho, Ohno, and Keiko? Nino wants to find out. “Sell them out by aiding your witch in locating them? Let my kind be banished from this plane in exchange that I get to remain in it?”

Nino blinks, something that seems to agitate the demon further. “You are merely going to help locating them. I am not asking you to come along with my hunters during missions and help banish your kind.” He shrugs his shoulders. “You may have passed as a hunter in Sho-chan’s eyes, but not mine. If you cannot convince me, you can never convince anyone else in my guild. The banishment is up to the skills of those under my guild, those who were under my tutelage.”

Before the demon can speak, Nino holds up his hand. The incubus seems surprised, like no one ever dared stop it before, and Nino simply smiles. “But I understand your concern. I can’t sweeten my words to make them far more acceptable to you, because it is as you say. You are lending us a hand which will eventually lead to demon banishment. But your kind’s expulsion from this plane is not permanent and you know that. Once my guild members’ bloodlines come to an end, you and your kind are free to wreak havoc again. A thousand years is nothing for immortals like you.”

That stuns the demon to momentary silence, taking measured breaths as it shuts its eyes, pondering over Nino’s proposal. When their eyes meet again, Nino can say he has expected what’s coming.

“You have two more conditions.”

Nino can only smile, not pointing out that he is, perhaps, starting to win this one over. If he can sweet talk an incubus to a compromise, he can recruit even the most prideful hunter out there. He nods. “The second is that should you choose to accept, I will have your true name for insurance.” The demon’s eyes widen, but Nino continues. “You said it yourself, you can kill me without exerting effort even in your weakened state. The only counterbalance I will have at my disposal is the knowledge of your true name.”

The demon turns its head away from him, looking outside. It’s then Nino realizes that the creature in front of him knows exactly where Sho is. It can probably hear him and Keiko outside, can smell him despite being far away.

Sho’s not the only one too involved, then. Nino masks his realization by clenching his jaw, afraid that if he voices out what he just understood, he won’t get to the third condition.

The incubus turns back to him, something akin to softness now evident in its eyes. “He really did not tell you.”

Nino almost laughs, but he resolves to shaking his head to affirm the statement. “No. That’s Sho-chan for you.”

No matter how hard Nino prodded him earlier, no matter the threat, Sho refused to say the name. Keiko obviously doesn’t know, and Nino’s certain she had never stepped foot inside the guild house since Sho brought his assignment here in its true form. Keiko was looking out for everyone in town and safeguarding her own life by staying outside. It was the wise thing to do.

“The third?” the demon asks, its voice a far cry from its initial hostility and mockery towards Nino.

Nino doesn’t hesitate. “The third is that you will stay off the radar.”

The demon looks appalled. “And rob me of my usual fun?” Nino’s eyes narrow at that. It refers to terrorizing villages and feeding off sexual energies as ‘fun’. Just for the laughs, Nino wants to know how it refers to whatever it did with Sho. “Rob me of what I am? Weaken me entirely for I cannot feed? Are you signing me a death sentence, that I die of natural circumstances with my strength betraying me up until my last breath?”

Feeling bolder, Nino steps closer, until he’s almost in the demon’s space. Then he smiles. “No. That’s not what I’m trying to do, and that’s not what will happen to you.” He turns serious. “None of those will ever happen because should you choose to accept all three conditions, you will have Sakurai Sho.”

That gets him an eyebrow and something akin to possessiveness flashing over the demon’s eyes. Nino’s no longer surprised at this point, so he continues talking. “They say that as long as your kind is satisfied, you won’t really harm anyone. And now that you let me lay down my conditions and actually listened to what I have to say, I’m fairly certain you won’t harm Sho-chan in any way.”

“Why this sudden trust? You were wary of me when you stepped inside.”

“Because Sho-chan trusts you to the point he withheld your name from me.”

They stare at each other for a few moments, and Nino believes he has come to know this one a little better. Definitely different from the usual. True, it ravaged towns and fed off more than a hundred people, but Nino would attribute boredom as the primary reason. Sho better prove himself up to the task, or else, even if this one accepts Nino’s proposal, they will still eventually lose him and banishment is a guarantee.

And Nino has come to believe that Sho won’t allow him to do that for as long as he breathes. Sho has turned into an utter fool for this one, but this incubus has never harmed him despite having many chances to do so.

Nino doesn’t understand the way they think, that fierce loyalty they both seem to have towards each other. It’s more than addiction for Sho; Nino saw it on his friend with his own eyes. When Sho told him everything, he admitted to every fault, every mistake, every shortcoming. He blamed himself, called himself weak and useless, but when Nino asked for the name, Sho sealed his lips.

And now, seeing this demon far weaker than it likely ever allowed itself to be, why it chooses not to feed is definitely more than breaking a promise. Nino knows it swore never to harm Sho, but for it to uphold that at the price of its own survival is too much.

“The marks won’t go away,” the demon murmurs. Perhaps it remembers everyone it touched in Nie.

“Unless you come to Tenjin. Your range can’t be that widespread.” Tenjin is at the center of the continent, a place almost always sunny and very much unlike the breezy conditions of the mountains. If it’s the marks the demon is worried about, there’s only one mark that will remain if it accepts, and that’s the mark that Sho has. Nino’s certain Sho has no complaints about keeping that one, wherever it is. He didn’t ask. There are some things he’d live longer not knowing about.

The demon tilts its head, as if examining him. “What will you tell the people? Will you claim your reward, claim the extermination is complete, that the task is done and the demon is banished?”

“Leave the whipping up of the story to me,” Nino says. He takes a step back, looking around. It’s going to take a good backup for this one to work out, and he already considers Keiko and Ohno to be his trusted accomplices. The mess Sho created doesn’t end here, but Nino will see to it that none of what happened here will follow them to Tenjin. “If the joint municipalities choose to pay me for something I and my idiot vice guild master never accomplished, I can promise you that I will make sure the gold ends up partitioned to every person you ever laid hands on. While I do like money, I want it to be hard-earned in nature.”

That seems to be enough for the demon who darts a glance at the door to the guild house before turning to face Nino once more. “You said I will have Sakurai Sho.”

How many assurances does it need? Part of Nino’s habits is to fuck with people, but he can be serious when he needs to be. “I did say that.”

“Does he know? That he’s part of the bargain and you’re selling him to me?”

Nino snorts. “I am not selling anyone to you.” He waves a hand for effect. “Who do you think contacted me to come all the way here? Would he have called me here, far up north, to simply ask me to banish you when he can very well do it himself seeing that he has your name and I don’t?” Nino lets out a tiny laugh. “Whose plan do you think this is?”

Realization flashes through the coppery eyes, and Nino simply nods. “He’s an idiot and he owes me a lot for this one, but I will not have him any other way.”

There’s hesitation the next time the incubus speaks. “I will be chained, though?”

Nino frowns at that. “I do not keep slaves,” he snips. “As I said earlier, you will be treated as a new guild member in the Lotus. You can shapeshift to that form you used on Sho-chan when you first met. No one in the guild will know your true name except for me, Sho-chan, and the witch who will have you under her stead.”

The incubus measures him with a look. “I will have her name.”

"When you meet her. Unlike us mere hunters, she’s talented in blocking your kind out so you won’t get her name unless she tells you herself. You can return the favor by doing the same. I promise not to give it to her unless you provide her with it upon your meeting."

The bright eyes narrow. “You speak as if I will agree.”

Nino cracks his neck joints. He has been patient for too long, and he’s lacking in sleep. He’s exhausted from the travel, mentally drained because Sho chose to fuck a demon instead of a human being, and he thinks he’s been nice enough. “Let me put it this way, then. If I leave, the deal’s out. You will remain trapped here, and the only thing stopping me from banishing you completely is the fact that Sho-chan remains tight-lipped about your name. He can’t spring you out from this trap because it’s not his spellwork, and I think we will all get to see how long you’ll last before you turn to ash. It’s limbo for you.”

Anger flashes over the demon’s eyes, but Nino doesn’t let it affect him. “However if you say yes and come back with us to Tenjin, you will be under my care, bear the guild name, help us out, all with Sho-chan right by your side. We all walk away thus undoing all the damage you did to this side of the continent, and no one will ever know what truly happened to you aside from the story I intend to make up because you will stay off the radar as promised.”

“Provided Sakurai Sho keeps me satisfied.”

That makes Nino laugh. “Provided he does that, yes. And I have a feeling he’s up to the task or else he wouldn’t give me this idea.”

“If I give you my name, what’s saying you won’t banish me?” Nino can detect doubt in its voice but there’s also fear, like it doesn’t want to leave this plane. From Sho’s story, it surrendered to him when he cornered it. Right now, it’s scared that it will be banished, will be kept away from what it wants.

No, Nino realizes. Not just want. It needs Sho, who spared its life for reasons they both don’t know.

So Nino decides to be forthcoming, minimizing the exaggeration. “The knowledge that Sakurai Sho out there will send me straight to limbo right after you if I do banish you. I may not look like it, but I’m a man of my word. It comes with my position in the guild.”

Nino waits, and when the demon says nothing, he sighs. “Your choice is to either trust me and see what happens, or not trust me and ensure your gradual return to limbo as your strength depletes.” If it doesn’t want to leave this dimension because of Sho, the choice is obvious.

The incubus exhales, and Nino senses a sudden drop in its defenses. The air in the room feels lighter, thinner, more normal. Sulfur still permeates the air, but the initial hostility that Nino sensed is now gone. “Jun,” comes the low whisper, so faint Nino almost didn’t catch it.

Nino takes in the name, concentrates on it as he extends a hand before them. “Jun,” he repeats, remembering his runes, the words, the assignment, the price of his retirement. “I release you from the entrapment and the binding.” The spell drops, and there’s an obvious sigh of relief that passes through the demon’s lips.

When their eyes meet, Nino gives him a friendly grin. He’s not just an incubus anymore, he’s Jun. “I am guild master Ninomiya Kazunari from the Lotus, and you are officially a new recruit from Yomi.” He steps back, making his way through the door. “I will send him in. You need to feed to be able to shapeshift.”

Nino’s certain Sho’s just waiting on the other side of the door, provided Keiko didn’t brain him yet to keep him from interfering.

“I will not hurt him,” is what Jun says, and Nino halts in his steps at that.

He rolls his eyes, thankful he’s got his back turned. Who knows what Jun would do if he sees Nino doing that? “And he will not let you die, so compromise. I can’t whip up a story with any of you dead. I will be heading out, and I hope the next time I see you, it’s in that form you used on Sho-chan. It was nice meeting you, Jun.”

He doesn’t wait for a reply, quickly opening the door and stepping out. Sure enough, Sho’s waiting, and Keiko only lets go of him once Nino gives her a nod. “Half of your savings, you will hand over to me, as compensation for the many years I would have lived if you kept it in your pants.” He shoves Sho towards the door. “Now go and help him. Keiko-chan and I have some thinking to do.”

Sho looks at him disbelievingly before wrapping his arms around Nino’s form. “Yes, yes,” Nino says, patting the back of his head. “I’m amazing. I saved your ass and his. Now go. The longer you wait, the weaker he becomes. We can’t bring him to Tenjin in that state. I have some snooty people to talk to so I’ll leave you two to it, but please, don’t let the neighbors hear.”

When Sho enters the guild house, it’s only then that Nino allows the weariness to seep through him. He turns to Keiko, who silently offers him her shoulder. He underestimated his condition, and he wraps an arm around her as they walk.

“I need to sleep,” Nino tells her, so close to drifting off. She merely hums. “And when I wake up, we talk to people. Contact Becky, tell her everything. Contact Ohno-san too. I need you both to back me up.”

“Understood,” Keiko says. “Thank you for your hard work, guild master.”

Nino smiles, and when Keiko brings him to a nearby inn, he doesn’t say a word. When she puts him to bed, he immediately dozes off, momentarily forgetting about his job, his retirement, this town, the assignment, and the deadline.


	8. Ante Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lateness, but as a parting gift before my classes murder me, here's the rest. There's a lot of porn, but the tags are updated. Enjoy.

 

Jun is bracing himself against the table with one hand when Sho finds him, his choice not to partake in anything clearly taking its toll on his body.  
  
“You keep some very interesting friends, Sakurai Sho.”  
  
Sho approaches, no longer fearing him. In the past few days, Jun has stayed in his true form and has never hurt him. He truly wishes Sho no harm. “I trust Nino with everything I have.”  
  
“Yes, and I have seen that he is the same when it comes to you.” Jun’s eyes travel on his form before moving back up. “He told me it was all your doing.”  
  
Sho closes the distance between them, standing in Jun’s space. The house is theirs. Nino made that clear, and while Sho feels guilty about the things he put Nino through, Nino’s job is far from done. They’re past the deadline already, and if Nino doesn’t act, another guild will hunt Jun down.  
  
He reaches up, fingers dancing on Jun’s nape before pushing Jun’s face close to his skin, his neck. “Do it.” He has long discovered that the way to fight against Jun’s stubbornness is a direct approach. “We need you as Matsumoto for this plan to work.”  
  
Jun is breathing against his neck, hot and sticky, but that’s all he does. “I do not wish to hurt you.”  
  
“You won’t kill me,” Sho says immediately, reminding him. “You’ll only take what you need, and I’ll recover. It’s like a refractory period.” He laughs a little, remembering that night. “Take what you need, and if I end up as a dead weight, well, I think I just need sleep. I’ll live.”  
  
“I might drain you,” Jun whispers, lips hovering on his jawline. Sho bares his neck, giving him more access. It has never been a struggle not to give in to him. “I haven’t fed off anyone since we left Nie.”  
  
Sho pulls away, turning so they’re facing each other. Jun’s luminescent eyes stare back, showing him how much he truly fears hurting Sho. He can do it without effort. But he won’t. Sho believes he won’t. “I trust you.”  
  
Jun’s resolve is cracking, that much Sho can tell. It’s in the way he looks at Sho, his fear changing to lust then to hunger, the possessiveness emanating from him in waves. Sho has given himself over and over again. This is the only thing Jun hasn’t taken, and he’s willingly giving it. Jun’s thumb strokes his bottom lip and Sho sighs, pressing a light kiss to the tip.  
  
“Are you certain?” Jun asks, and Sho understands. This is the only time he can refuse. If he says no, Jun won’t. There’s no coming back after this.  
  
The thought of the guild in Tenjin, the idea of showing Jun that there are far more interesting people in this world and he can be a part of it is what makes Sho nod. “Yes.”  
  
As soon as the word leave his lips, Jun hauls him to the nearest bedroom, pushing him on the mattress and descending on him, stealing the air from his lungs. Jun kisses him with tongue and teeth, all desperation and hardness and lust. His need and headiness transfer to Sho, who runs his hands on Jun’s bare chest, up his nape to pull him closer.  
  
Jun’s skin is burning underneath his fingertips, each muscle taut and unyielding as they slide over Sho’s skin. Jun’s hands divest him of his tunic and trousers, moving so quickly that Sho only noticed when he had to break away from the tempting pull of Jun’s mouth.  
  
Their eyes meet, and Sho can see nothing but blackness in Jun’s. Jun can break him, snap him in half, drain him, and finally leave him to die, and perhaps that fear transpires in Sho’s form because Jun suddenly blinks twice, the ravenous look slowly vanishing from his face.  
  
“Are you terrified of me now?” Jun asks, stroking the side of his face with his knuckles.  
  
Sho shakes his head. He’s not afraid of Jun having the power to end him in seconds. It’s the fact that Jun can leave once he gets what he needs that scares Sho, and it’s not something he can say. He can never ask for it, so instead he cranes his neck to press his lips against Jun’s throat, feeling his throbbing pulse against his tongue. If this is going to be the last, so be it. Nino would honor the end of the deal, but what’s saying Jun would? Doing so was against his very nature, and Sho knew, the moment he thought of it and asked for Nino’s help, that it was just him hoping for something futile.  
  
He decides to just enjoy this moment. He will deal with the consequences after.  
  
Sho rolls his hips, trying to get Jun to focus towards something else, something far more urgent. Jun licks his lips at the friction, but when Sho tries to do it again, he uses his strength to pin Sho’s body into the mattress.  
  
“I know what you need,” Sho says first, his hands holding on to Jun’s neck, fingers stroking his nape and making him shiver. “And you can have it.”  
  
“You have to mean this,” Jun whispers, breathing against his face. He’s so warm, and Sho wants that warmth to envelop him completely. “You say no once and I will honor it.”  
  
Sho understands that, even before he let himself be dragged in this room, even before he called Nino up here. He nips at Jun’s bottom lip lightly, worrying it before licking the tender piece of flesh. “I mean it,” he answers, kissing the corner of Jun’s mouth. If Jun leaves after, he will deal with it. If Jun kills him, then that’s that. Ever since his inability to do his job, to accomplish this particular assignment, he has resigned himself to the worst. “Yes.”  
  
Jun inhales sharply, his broad and sturdy-looking shoulders trembling. His hands reach for Sho’s wrists, pinning them above his head. There’s a long moment that has Sho looking at Jun looming over him, of him trying to regulate his breathing.  
  
Sho licks his lips nervously, and Jun’s eyes focus on his mouth, their blackness threatening to suck Sho in. “Jun,” he says softly, then something snaps in Jun. He descends, claiming Sho’s mouth and sucking on his tongue. His grip on Sho shifts, till he’s only using one hand to pin Sho’s wrists above his head. The other hand reaches between them, finding Sho’s cock before stroking deftly.  
  
Sho moans against Jun’s mouth, and he can feel Jun’s teeth tugging at his bottom lip. There’s a thumb that keeps on stroking his cockhead, smearing precome and using it as lube to pump his length. Sho’s body arches involuntarily, trying to keep up with Jun’s fist, while his gasps and appreciative groans are all swallowed by Jun’s hot mouth.  
  
He struggles out of Jun’s grip, but even in Jun’s weakening state, he’s still strong enough to pin Sho down, something he proves by tightening his hold on Sho’s wrists. Jun’s mouth travels across his cheek, all hot breath and wet tongue, till he reaches Sho’s ear and sucks on the earlobe.  
  
“Tell me what you want,” Jun whispers, voice low and deep and making Sho’s cock twitch excitedly against the hot palm wrapped around it. Jun squeezes him once as a reminder for him to keep still when his hips lifted off the bed once more. “Shh. What do you want?”  
  
Sho turns his head to the side to find Jun’s mouth, kissing him for a brief moment. He tries to fuck Jun’s hand, but Jun keeps his fingers circled around the base of his dick. He gets another squeeze that makes him hiss, and he can hear the click of Jun’s tongue against his ear. “You have to tell me.”  
  
If this is going to be the last time he will have Jun in bed with him, then he’ll play along, Sho decides. Make the most out of it, he tells himself.  
  
“Fuck me,” he breathes, rolling his hips up. He gets a noise of approval from Jun, a groan followed by Jun’s teeth nipping at his jaw. Sho gasps when Jun bites his chin, not enough to truly hurt him, but more than enough to tell him how much Jun wants him in return.  
  
“If I unhand you,” Jun says while kissing his collarbone, and Sho has to clench and unclench his fingers at the offer, “can you keep your hands above your head?”  
  
Sho isn’t really sure, because all he can think of are the places in his body that he wants to feel Jun. He wants Jun’s mouth on him, his lips and tongue making him feel like he’s soaring high, his hands touching him with deftness and certainty, his fingers getting him ready. He wants so much, and the thought of getting them once he acquiesces is what makes him nod.  
  
“I can try,” he says, still wanting to be honest.  
  
That earns him a laugh and a lick on his breastbone. “Keep your hands where they are. Clutch the headboard or the pillows if you have to, but you are not to touch me or yourself.”  
  
Sho’s dick gives another twitch just as Jun releases him slowly, his fingers tracing the bony path from Sho’s wrist to his elbow, stroking the skin tenderly and making Sho shudder. Jun’s hand on his cock resumes stroking, albeit slowly, not really giving Sho the friction he craves for. He bites his lip, focusing on not moving his arms where they are as Jun’s breath travels further down, until he feels a warm tongue on his navel.  
  
Jun’s forefinger circles a nipple while his other hand moves to cup Sho’s balls, stroking and squeezing lightly. Jun pinches him suddenly, making the skin around his nipple pebble just as Sho huffs out a breath. The tongue on his navel keeps its assault, licking at the skin and adding little nips that make Sho moan, body writhing.  
  
There’s a finger tracing the vein on his cock, moving down only to move back up. His thighs quiver in an effort to not wrap his legs around Jun, his heels digging hard into the mattress. Sho’s panting at the inside of his arm, his hands trying not to claw at the wooden headboard above his head.  
  
“Jun,” he breathes. Jun delivers another pinch to his nipple, making him hiss, and just when he’s thinking to ask for the teasing to stop, he feels Jun’s tongue licking the head of his cock.  
  
His hips lift off the mattress, trying to feel more of the inviting heat Jun’s mouth can give. Instead, he gets a firm hand wrapping around the base and a tweak to his sore nipple that makes him bite his lip. When he turns to look, Jun is looking at him like he disapproves.  
  
“We have to work on your impatience if you are to stay with me,” Jun says, before letting go of Sho’s nipple to rake his nails across Sho’s abdomen. They sting as they drag down scarlet lines over the skin, but they don’t draw blood. Sho simply hisses at the sensation, his hands now gripping the headboard tight.  
  
“Did you,” he huffs, and he shoots Jun an angry glare when Jun gives him an amused look. He’s obviously enjoying Sho’s inability to speak clearly. “Did you tease the others this way?” He meant those who came before him, all those people Jun had touched, though he refuses to call them victims or prey. Some of them are like Ueto and Miyajima, people who welcomed the experience and are not ashamed of it. He’s not too different from them, he realizes.  
  
“No,” Jun replies. Sho has to bite back a moan when Jun strokes his cock lightly, an almost innocent way of pumping him. “Only those I like seeing distressed and frustrated. There weren’t very many.”  
  
Out of almost two hundred? Not very many?  
  
Sho manages to raise a defiant eyebrow at that, something that makes Jun’s eyes darken. “Is that how you like them?” he asks, trying hard to regulate his breathing even as Jun continues to pump him leisurely. “The way I look now? Helpless, frustrated, in distress? Wanting so much it actually hurts?”  
  
Jun doesn’t let go of his dick, but he does slide his body back up, his other hand quickly wrapping around Sho’s neck. He doesn’t squeeze so Sho can still breathe, but the added weight on his windpipe is making him feel immensely restrained and trapped.  
  
“If I am to have someone, I like to take my time,” Jun clarifies, leaning down to breathe on his face. Sho hisses when Jun’s other hand delivers a light pinch to the head of his cock. “And so I will take my time with you.” Jun licks his chin up to his lip, teeth tugging at the flesh before letting go. “I will have you writhing.” His hand lets go of Sho to move back up, fingers dancing on the raised skin of Sho’s scar and making him squirm involuntarily. “Have you moan my name, ask, ask, and keep asking.” Jun’s grip around his neck tightens minutely, and Sho can’t look away from his intense eyes. “And when you are ready, I will teach you patience.”  
  
Jun’s other hand suddenly cups his jaw, his thumb stroking Sho’s mouth. “I will make you work for what you want,” he promises, hand traveling up Sho’s arm to encircle his wrists. A finger taps thrice on the bony part, a reminder that he is to keep them where they are. “And only when you do that am I going to take what I want.”  
  
Jun lets him go abruptly, settling back between his legs. Sho watches his every move, and his throat feels constricted when Jun swipes a finger over the slit of his cock, a thin thread of glistening precome clinging onto the digit.  
  
Not breaking their eye contact, Jun leans forward to offer him the finger wordlessly. There’s a challenge in his eyes, like he’s daring Sho to do otherwise, so instead of taking it in his mouth, Sho licks his lips and bites on the digit, hard enough to make a point.  
  
Jun makes a surprised noise, and when Sho pulls away, he plasters on a smirk. Jun wants to have him begging, so be it. But he won’t beg unless he’s that far gone, and right now, he’s not even there.  
  
Jun grips his chin, his eyes dark and nostrils slightly flaring. The lust in Jun’s eyes is so evident Sho can almost taste it. Sho’s defiance is obviously doing things to him, and Sho likes seeing him like this, so worked up that he can’t decide if he wants to teach Sho a lesson and stick with the plan of dragging this out or just fuck him senseless like Sho wants him to.  
  
“Do you like it when they defy you?” Sho dares to ask, smirking wider when Jun’s eyes narrow at his audacity. “When they struggle, put up a bit of a fight? You wouldn’t like them so submissive, would you?”  
  
Something flashes over Jun’s eyes, and Sho thinks his grin can split his face in half. Jun likes it when he’s in control, that much was obvious to Sho. But what gets Jun going is when he gets defied, when someone actually dares, if only to have the excuse of prolonging that someone’s struggles and having them begging right after.  
  
This is what he can do, Sho discovers. Jun can drive him mad with lust at the mere whisper of his name given his nature, but Sho can do the same by offering resistance when Jun least expects it. It makes Jun want and crave as much as Sho himself does, and like this, with the both of them pushing each other’s buttons so efficiently, Sho understands that it’s the source of the attraction in the first place. Why Jun lured him out only not to kill him, why he had Jun trapped only to set him free. They offer one another something they never got from someone else before, and it thrills the both of them to know that the only person who can make what they want happen is just within reach, ready and willing to provide if only one asks.  
  
The game, Sho realizes, begins with the fact that they both don’t want to ask because of their stubbornness.  
  
At least not until they’re both panting, restless, and frustrated.  
  
“Admit it, Jun,” Sho says, watching the myriad of expressions on Jun’s face. He can feel Jun hard against his thigh, and he smiles when he feels it twitch. “You like it when I challenge you.”  
  
Jun clamps a hand over his mouth, and Sho has to groan against his palm when Jun smears his precome over his fingers before reaching down to circle Sho’s hole. “I will have you,” Jun promises, his voice saccharine and dripping with want, “and as soon as you finish, I will have you again.”  
  
Jun ducks down to blow a hot puff of air against his cock. Maintaining eye contact, Sho’s mouth falls open at the sight and the feeling of Jun’s tongue slowly licking the swollen head of his dick. His hips surge forward but Jun’s hand pins him down quickly by gripping his hip that has Jun’s sigil. He strokes his thumb possessively over the flesh, as if he’s reminding Sho that Sho is marked.  
  
The finger tracing Sho’s hole pushes slightly, not enough to make an intrusion but enough for Sho to feel a smidgen of pressure, and when his thighs shake as a reaction, that’s when Jun takes him into the tempting, velvety heat of his mouth.  
  
Jun sucks at the head once before lapping at the tip, tongue swirling from the slit down to the junction where the head meets the shaft. The hand hovering on his hole pulls away only to reappear over his lips. “Suck,” Jun orders, and they exchange a brief glance before Sho obeys, taking two of them in his mouth. Jun mirrors the way he sucks by wrapping his mouth around the head and letting his lips slide down the shaft.  
  
Jun withdraws his hand from Sho’s mouth and positions it over Sho’s hole, circling the tight ring of muscle with a now sufficiently wet finger. Sho feels the softest, teasing scrap of Jun’s teeth over his length when a finger pushes in, making his toes curl at the slight burn.  
  
He has to bite his lip and wrap one hand around his wrist to keep his hands above his head. Jun’s other hand is heavy against his hip, gripping him tight and preventing him from fucking himself into the tight, inviting heat of Jun’s sinful mouth.  
  
He feels Jun tap against his hip twice, another warning before it disappears. When Sho turns, he sees the vial of oil in Jun’s palm, his long fingers fumbling to remove the stopper. The finger inside him is moving in and out slowly, and Sho shivers when he feels Jun pour the warm oil over his balls, letting the liquid run over his perineum before reaching his hole.  
  
Jun pulls out his finger to coat it and the rest of his phalanges in oil, then he offers no warning when he pushes back inside, this time with two and stretching Sho further. Jun distracts him by swallowing him back down, head bobbing as Sho’s length slides in and out of his mouth in an effortless glide.  
  
For his part, Sho’s muffling his moans against the inside of his arm, his eyes shut tight at the feeling of his cock being sucked combined with the two fingers fucking him steadily. Jun is perfectly capable of reducing him to a whimpering mess with just his mouth, but his fingers are also wondrous for Sho when they’re in places that he wants them to be.  
  
Jun scissors inside, and when Sho makes the mistake of looking down, he catches Jun watching his expression with his swollen lips obscenely stretched around his dick. Jun makes a particularly hard suck, one that sends Sho groaning Jun’s name before he can even think of biting his lips to keep the noises to himself.  
  
Jun pulls away from his dick, pumping the slick shaft with a lazy hand. He then lets go to nudge one of Sho’s knees with an elbow. Sho gets the hint, raising his limb until Jun can put it over his shoulder.  
  
He gets a kiss on the thigh for his cooperation, followed by Jun’s unadulterated praise. “Good.”  
  
The fingers inside him crook suddenly, finding his prostate with little trouble and he arches, clenching against Jun and letting out a low, needy moan. Jun resumes massaging him, his fingers doing repetitive circular motions inside Sho, and Sho has to bury his face to the side as his hips involuntarily buck.  
  
“Jun,” he groans, breathless and flushed and so, so hard that he’s certain he’s leaking. “Jun.”  
  
Jun grips his knee for his limb not to fall off his shoulder, and Sho feels him squeeze around the joint. “We haven’t even started.”  
  
Sho exhales, trying to do a mental count to calm his raging heartbeat. “Liar,” he accuses through his teeth, and he doesn’t prevent himself from smiling when Jun’s fingers inside him halt in their movement. “Tease.”  
  
He can feel Jun’s fingers tapping his knee like he’s contemplating something and wants Sho to hear him out. “I am not teasing,” Jun says, not for the first time. He doesn’t look away from Sho’s face when he asks, “Does this feel like teasing to you?”  
  
Sho tenses at the feeling of another finger inside him, and the three of them crook together to massage his prostate. He wails and clenches, thrashing reflexively, but Jun’s hold on his knee keeps him in place. “Or this?” Jun asks again, this time gripping the back of his knee to bend his leg until its limit. It drives his fingers deeper into Sho, and he proceeds to fuck Sho with them, a steady in and out that reduces Sho to breathless gasps.  
  
“Fuck me,” Sho demands for the second time, the frustration evident in every syllable.  
  
He can practically hear Jun’s smile the next time Jun speaks. “I am.”  
  
“Damn you,” Sho curses, eyes snapping open to glare at Jun.  
  
Jun withdraws his fingers without warning and Sho makes a pathetic whimper before he can help it. When he looks down, Jun is coating his fingers, no, his entire hand with the oil. He nudges Sho’s other leg with his elbow, a silent order for him to bend that leg at the knee to give Jun more room.  
  
Sho does, and Jun suddenly looks incredibly pleased. “You will learn how to be patient tonight,” he husks, before plunging his fingers back inside, now slicker and easier to pull in and out of Sho than the last time.  
  
Jun rests Sho’s other leg back on his shoulder, stroking Sho’s calf soothingly as Sho writhes, clawing at the headboard at the sensation of Jun’s lithe fingers fucking him steadily. The stretch feels good but it’s not what Sho craves, not what he truly wants. It's not enough. He can only moan and push back, wishing his nails aren’t embedded in wood but in Jun’s warm skin instead.  
  
Jun drops reassuring kisses on his thigh, a thumb stroking the back of his knee affectionately. The gentleness he exhibits is contradictory to the relentless fingers inside Sho, one of which is continuous in its stimulation of Sho’s prostate while the other two keep scissoring into the tight heat, knuckles buried deep.  
  
Sho leaks and he bites his lip, willing for his erection to hold out. If Jun keeps that assault on his prostate, he will finish, and he’s certain Jun won’t like that.  
  
“Jun,” he whines, dragging out the syllable. “Jun, I can’t.”  
  
That gets Jun to stop, but he doesn’t pull his fingers out. He puts down Sho’s leg back on the mattress before circling a hand on the base of Sho’s dick, wrapping tightly to prevent blood to flow. “You can hold out much longer,” he tells Sho, sounding confident.  
  
Sho opens his eyes to throw an angry look toward Jun’s way. “I can if you stop whatever you’re doing with your fingers.”  
  
“You mean this?” Jun asks innocently, and Sho hisses at the feeling of his fingers crooking inside. The hand around his cock tightens its grip. “You can hold out,” he repeats, voice low and determined. “Impress me.”  
  
Jun’s fingers proceed fucking him, foregoing slow to piston in and out of him fast, and just when Sho thinks that Jun has done everything, Jun ducks down to lick at the glistening head of his dick. Jun’s hand remains circled at the base and preventing Sho to come.  
  
Sho’s fingers are embedded so deep in the oak above his head and he nearly sobs in combined lust and frustration. This is what Jun wants and he knows it: the sight of him so turned on he can barely see straight, the sounds of him so frustrated that if Jun so much withdraws, Sho will beg him to come back.  
  
Another desperate whimper from him and Jun suddenly stops, but he doesn’t withdraw from Sho. “What do you want?” he asks against Sho’s cock, flicking his tongue at the leaking slit.  
  
Sho knows this pattern well enough. Jun wants to hear him beg—the missing piece in the puzzle. He’s already writhing and frustrated, nearly mad with lust and his need for Jun. He only needs to say the words and it’ll all be over, because Jun will undoubtedly give it to him and make it good.  
  
Sho shuts his eyes, shaking his head. He’s so unwilling to ask for it that his pride is obviously overriding his reason. Jun is the only one standing between him and that sweet promise of release, but while he does want to come, he doesn’t want to ask Jun for it. Jun gets off by having people desperate and wanting, and Sho’s stubborn and prideful enough to put up a fight even when he’s already losing.  
  
Jun clicks his tongue, and crooks his fingers again, making Sho wail. “You only need to tell me.”  
  
I already told you, Sho thinks angrily. Twice, in fact. But then Jun swipes his tongue over the tip of his dick once more, and Sho’s head thumps back against the pillows. His breath comes in gasps, and he knows he won’t last much longer if he continues with this.  
  
“Please,” he whispers, and he makes a low, pitiful whine when Jun squeezes his dick. He says it in the way he knows Jun would love to hear. “Fuck me.” He bucks back and clenches around Jun’s fingers for emphasis. “Jun, fuck me.”  
  
Jun pulls out his fingers slowly, letting Sho gradually feel the emptiness they leave as they withdraw from his body. He moans, gravelly and needy. Jun lets go of his cock but gives a stern warning of “Don’t touch yourself.”  
  
Sho can only nod repeatedly, holding on to his wrist tightly in an effort to keep it together. Between his legs, he can hear Jun slicking himself, the obscene sound of a hand stroking a hard, growing cock, and when he opens his eyes to look, Jun lifts one of his legs to drape it over his shoulder. The blunt head of his cock is already poking Sho, and Sho is so ready for him that he can only push back eagerly.  
  
It makes Jun laugh. “So impatient.”  
  
Sho would roll his eyes if he could, but since he can’t, he only settles for wrapping his other leg around Jun’s waist. He suddenly remembers what Jun said to him earlier, and wants to get back at him for repeating his words from the first time.  
  
“Impress me, Jun,” he says, managing to keep his voice haughty. “Unless you’re all talk.”  
  
Jun raises an eyebrow before tilting his chin up at Sho. “This is what you want,” he says evenly, like he doesn’t have Sho sprawled and naked and hard before him. When Sho’s eyes narrow in confusion, he smiles and reaches behind him to dislodge Sho's leg around his waist. “Then take it.”  
  
He reaches for Sho’s arm to pull him up, kissing him briefly before ordering, “On top of me.” Sho manages to nod, and he scrambles into position as Jun lies back down. He straddles Jun’s spread thighs, taking hold of the slick, hard cock and guiding it towards his hole, and he maintains his balance with a splayed hand against Jun’s taut stomach.  
  
When the tip is poking him, Sho bites his lip and sinks in slowly, taking it inch by inch and breathing through his nose to keep himself from losing it. Jun is bigger than all the fingers he fucked Sho with, and Sho gradually feels fuller as he lets Jun’s cock slide deeper inside.  
  
Once sheathed deeply, he exhales sharply, slightly clawing at Jun’s abdomen as his knees shake in an effort to keep still. Jun has stretched him good, prepared him adequately, but underneath the weight of Sho’s body he’s all unyielding hardness and endless warmth. Jun feels too good, too much, but Sho wants more of him so that thought wills him to move back up slowly and sink back down immediately.  
  
Sho moans and throws his head back as he does so. All those vivid images Jun sent him to get him worked up, all those nights he gave in and touched himself—they can never compare. He feels so full and Jun is just perfect inside him—hot, thick, and hard. He keeps his hand on Jun's abs, nails clawing at the pale expanse of skin as he lets his knees do the work, lifting himself off Jun's cock before sliding back down once more, fucking himself deeper each time.  
  
Jun's balls are snug against his ass with every movement, slow languid rolls of his hips that gradually turn faster as his need intensifies. Every smack of his ass against Jun's hips is punctuated with a moan or a hiss, and it's then that Sho notices that he's the only one making noises. Jun is under him and watching him as he fucks himself on Jun's cock over and over, though his neck and face are flushed in an effort not to thrust into Sho.  
  
Sho rakes his nails pointedly on Jun's stomach and Jun arches at the momentary sting. "Move with me," Sho tells him, punctuating it with another roll of his hips, the tip of Jun's dick grazing his prostate.  
  
Jun reaches up to tweak both of his nipples, then moves down to grab his hips, and they share one look before Jun guides him. This time when Sho lifts his hips, Jun meets him with an unexpected, sharp thrust, making him moan, his inner muscles contracting instinctively.  
  
That spurs Jun on, angling his hips upward and gripping Sho's hips tightly as he fucks into Sho, hard thrusts that turn Sho's vision into white. He reaches between his legs to fist his own cock, but Jun stops him with another sharp thrust that makes him whine.  
  
"No," Jun says, and Sho opens his eyes. It takes a while to focus, especially when Jun's still fucking him with no intention of slowing down, but he hears it: "finish without touching yourself."  
  
Sho glares at him, unable to say anything else. He digs his fingernails into Jun's abs to express his disapproval. Jun drives in harder, faster, and when Sho’s knees finally give way, he simply allows his body to fall forward. Jun’s cock slips out of him and he lets out a low moan, then Jun is maneuvering them both so that Sho’s on his back.  
  
Jun looms over him, leaving featherlight kisses on his swollen lips. Jun moves away and Sho groans at the loss of contact, but his displeasure is short-lived since Jun turns him to the side, positioning himself behind Sho so that Sho's back rests against his chest. Jun lifts one of Sho's legs so he can thrust back in, and Sho lets out a gasp when he realizes this enables Jun to fuck him deeper.  
  
Like this, with Sho lying on his side as Jun resumes fucking him, in slow but hard thrusts since he has all the leverage, Sho can only moan and reach behind him, holding on to Jun's hips constantly smacking against his ass.  
  
"Sho," Jun breathes against his neck, his tongue tracing Sho's pulse. Sho can hear the need in his voice, the way he asks for permission with the one syllable that is Sho's name.  
  
Sho buries his face against the pillow, offering his neck, feeling himself so close. "Yes," he agrees, and it comes out as a hiss. Jun licks his pulse once, twice, then his thrusts gradually slow down before turning into languid hip rolls as Sho feels a sharp, stinging pain as Jun pierces his skin.  
  
Sho can only moan at the overwhelming sensations. Jun is still buried deep inside him, though he has ceased his movements. The sudden pain on Sho's neck makes Sho reach up to cup the side of Jun's face, pressing it against his skin. Jun's lips close over the bite, drinking in the energy Sho gives, humming as he sucks. Sho can feel himself weaken, his vision clouding over the edges. Jun is hard and all sharp angles behind him, and the grip he has on Sho's leg tightens as he continues to replenish himself, to satisfy his need.  
  
Just when Sho thinks he'll pass out, Jun stops with a parting lick that makes Sho moan quietly. His weight is pressed against Jun's firm chest, and Jun presses a soft kiss to his jaw.  
  
Jun starts to move his hips experimentally, reaching under Sho's raised leg to find Sho's cock to pump it in time with his shallow thrusts. Sho groans, turning his head and Jun's mouth easily finds his, swallowing all the noises he's making as Jun drives in, picking up the pace from earlier.  
  
The hand around Sho's cock squeezes and pumps, all delicious friction, and when Sho clenches reflexively, Jun moans in his mouth.  
  
"Mine," Jun growls, repeating it over and over in time with his thrusts, driving into him with such force that makes the bed creak. One brutal squeeze around Sho's leaking cock and Sho comes in quick bursts, sighing contentedly against Jun's lips.  
  
"All mine," Jun husks, bending Sho's leg further for more leverage. It's rough and fast and Sho can only take it, gasping out Jun's name until Jun thrusts sharply for one last time, breath hitching and finally climaxing.  
  
Jun eases himself out, puts his leg down, and they remain tangled for a few moments with Sho panting in his exhaustion against the cotton sheets and Jun breathing hard against the damp skin of Sho's shoulder.  
  
Then Jun suddenly maneuvers, pushing Sho against the cushions before settling between Sho's legs. Sho can only watch him as he lifts both limbs and rests them on his broad shoulders, his mouth hovering close to Sho's cock.  
  
Jun gives him one look, and he claws at the sheets when Jun ducks down simultaneously with two fingers entering him with little resistance. He's loose and so very much open for Jun, and he tries to squirm from Jun's fierce hold on him when Jun massages his prostate in time with a suck on his cock.  
  
"Jun," he says in warning, knowing he's not going to last. Jun just keeps going, and when he twists his fingers inside Sho, using his own come as lube, that's when Sho arches in his mouth.  
  
He manages to tangle his fingers in Jun's dark locks before he chokes, "Yes, yes, Jun—", finding release for the second time that night. Jun doesn't pull away, just lets him ride the intensity of his orgasm, fingers still scissoring in and out of his body.  
  
Sho's thighs tense at the continuous stimulation, and he struggles as soon as he has gained enough control over his motor skills. "I can't," he gasps, shaking his head. He pulls at the strands Jun's hair lightly. "Jun, I can't. It's too much."  
  
Jun stops. He lets Sho's cock slip out of his mouth, though not before dropping a kiss to its sensitive head. His fingers disappear as he eases down Sho's legs back on the bed.  
  
Just when Sho thinks it's over, Jun's fingers hover over his mouth. They're glistening and wet and slick from what Jun just did, and Sho licks his lips before cleaning them off with his tongue, lapping at the lingering taste of Jun. He moves in lazy flicks, licking from the tip of each finger to the base. He closes his lips around them after, sucking diligently. Jun slides over him, balancing himself over the length of Sho's body with one hand on the headboard.  
  
Jun withdraws his fingers from Sho to cup Sho's jaw and turn his head for a kiss, slow and heady, sharing everything. The exhaustion finally sinks in for Sho—he can't move his limbs, his body screams for sleep, his eyelids already feel too heavy. He is drifting off to Jun's kiss, and the last thing he feels is Jun's thumb stroking his cheekbone tenderly.  
  
"Rest," Jun whispers, and Sho does.  
  
\--  
  
Sho wakes surrounded by darkness, the whistling sound of the mountain breeze against the blades of the pine trees the first thing he hears.  
  
It is night.  
  
He is alone.  
  
His hand unconsciously palpates his neck, feeling the punctures Jun left there. Jun got what he wanted from Sho, something Sho handed over willingly.  
  
And now he's gone.  
  
The door creaks and opens, and Sho finds himself looking at Matsumoto's face.  
  
"Oh," Sho says quietly, unable to think of anything else. Jun has assumed the form Sho first met him in, and he looks just as intriguing as the last time Sho saw him. The sharpness of his true form is gone, but Sho can see Jun underneath the guise. Sho looks down at himself and finds that he is not clothed, another proof that it's thanks to his efforts that Jun has managed to assume human form. "How long was I out?"  
  
Jun's eyes are not as bright as they were in his true form, but Sho can feel the stare directed towards him. "Long enough for your friend Ninomiya to inform the right people."  
  
The deadline. The assignment. Nino.  
  
Sho scrambles to find his clothes in the dark, suddenly remembering. His limbs ache and he's still sore, but he has to move. "I should have been with him," he mumbles, reaching for his trousers. "I have to know what happened." He pulls his tunic over his head before meeting Jun's eyes. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
Jun is now leaning against the doorframe, all graceful limbs bathed in shadows. The predatory gaze is still on Sho, and Sho wills himself not to shy away or react. They don't have the time. "With the watcher Kitagawa and the other one from Nie, Ohno. In the municipal office of this town."  
  
Sho won't ask how he knew that; maybe it came with Jun's abilities. Jun knows the names of most people with just one look, after all. Some things are simply part of his nature.  
  
Sho straightens the creases on his tunic before he picks up his vest and puts it on. "I have to find them. I need to know what happened." He plops down unceremoniously on the bed to lace his boots, fingers fumbling at the knots in the darkness. There's no candle to illuminate his actions, and even with his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, it's not enough to properly see.  
  
He hears the click of Jun's tongue followed by footsteps approaching him. Jun then crouches and bats his hands away, redoing the knots himself. Sho's thankful for the darkness; Jun can't see the redness of his cheeks.  
  
There are so many things he wants to ask Jun and they threaten to spill out of his mouth all at once. You could've left after drinking from me, so why didn't you? You could've turned your back on the plan so why are you still here? For how long are you sticking around in this plane? Will you honor your part in the agreement?  
  
Am I going to be enough for you?  
  
Instead, Sho simply asks, "Are you staying?" and he hopes the underlying fear doesn't seep through. Jun knows too much already, and this is something Sho wants to keep to himself for as long as he could.  
  
Jun's fingers halt in their precise movements. He looks up, meeting Sho's eyes in the dark, and Sho can't read anything from his face. "Would you like for me to go?"  
  
Sho clenches his jaw at the question, refuses to dignify it with an answer. Jun doesn't look away from his eyes as he finishes tying up the last knot, pulling at the strings with distinct force.  
  
Finally, Jun sighs. "You are the one who offered yourself to me," he points out, lips curling a little in amusement when Sho looks away out of embarrassment. "I will only leave when you ask. Or when you banish me, whichever comes first."  
  
Sho is taken aback. "You think I will banish you?" he asks, unable to hide the disbelief in his voice. After everything I did, after all I let you do to me? The mark on Sho’s hip tingles, and briefly, he wonders if Jun can read his mind.  
  
"I think you are full of surprises," Jun replies smoothly, holding on to Sho's thighs. He doesn’t caress. He simply touches Sho’s skin, lets his warmth mingle with Sho’s. "And that there are many things you haven't shown me yet." Jun cranes his neck a little, mouth close to Sho's ear. "Your link with me is still present, and so I will know if something urgent has happened. Find your friends. Do what you must."  
  
"And what about you?" Sho asks, turning his head to face Jun, and he catches a hint of a smile on Jun's lips.  
  
"If you are worrying that I will disappear to terrorize the townsfolk, I assure you that I do not find them half as interesting as you." Jun shifts, standing in one swift move and stepping back. "Now go."  
  
Sho nods. He moves to leave after gathering his effects, and he spares Jun one last glance as he lingers at the door of the guild house. Will he find Jun here upon his return? If he leaves, Sho can’t stop him, and he honestly thinks he won’t. It would be selfish of him to ask Jun to stay.  
  
“You are not tied to me,” he says, fingers on the brass doorknob. In the darkness of the guild house, he can only make out the silhouette of Jun’s form standing a few feet away from him. “I…we at the Lotus, we don’t work that way,” he explains lamely. Sho figures Nino must have said something similar to Jun, but he needs to say the words himself.  
  
“I am aware,” Jun answers, voice as calm as ever. Now that he’s back in the guise of a human, the confidence and the proud attitude that Sho came to know resurface.  
  
There’s a sudden poke inside his head, something he hasn’t felt for a long time. It had been too long since he and Jun used this as a form of communicating with each other. The last time, Sho recalls, ended up with him touching himself at the thought of Jun.  
  
The thought makes him blush, and he can feel waves of immense amusement wash over him. He shoots Jun with a disapproving look, not caring if Jun can’t see it. They share one last look, and Sho tries to convey that he meant every word, that despite the plan, if Jun wanted to leave, he’d let him anytime.  
  
He receives another poke, this time pointedly telling him that he has to go, and for once, Sho listens to Matsumoto, finally turning the knob and stepping outside.  
  
\--  
  
“Took you long enough,” is the first thing Nino says to him, and Sho steeples his fingers together in apology.  
  
Going to Yomi’s municipality at the height of nighttime yielded him nothing since the offices only operate until the sun sets. It was Keiko who found him, having been tasked to keep an eye out for him.  
  
Keiko led him to one of Yomi’s bars, one that has an inn upstairs where Nino is apparently staying. Beside Nino sits Ohno, a face Sho hasn’t seen in weeks, and Sho can’t help the smile forming on his face. Ohno returns the smile, even giving him a nod of acknowledgement as Nino gestures for him to sit.  
  
“Can you even walk? Or did you limp all the way here?” Nino asks, and Sho only raises an eyebrow. This is an old routine, that every time they have to talk about something that involves a lot of planning and money, Nino will first try to lighten the mood by giving his usual jabs about Sho’s life.  
  
The question still makes Keiko laugh. She sits beside Sho, casually observing the rest of the bar’s patrons. Like Ohno, she does her observations discreetly, and seeing her working silently with Ohno to check the safety of the vicinity for any private discussions, Sho’s convinced that Nino’s really adept at choosing the right people to work for him.  
  
Nino reaches at his side, pulling out a fat, heavy pouch made of leather. He places it on the wooden table, and the crinkle of coins inside makes Sho’s eyes widen.  
  
“They paid?” he asks, and when Nino nods, he frowns. “And you accepted.”  
  
Nino’s lips twitch, accentuating the moles he has on his face. “My job was to whip up a story, backed up by two talented guild watchers. And so I whipped up a story. But what you’re seeing in that pouch is only half of the reward that was promised.”  
  
“Half?” Sho’s confused. “What did you tell those officials?”  
  
Nino plops his chin on the back of his hand, leaning his weight against the table. “That the demon is trapped yet not banished because he refuses to give his name. His sigil is, after all, still on the people he touched. If I said that we completed the assignment, they would know I was lying because his mark hasn’t disappeared.”  
  
Sho takes a deep breath, finally understanding. “You need him to go.”  
  
“To be convincing enough, yes,” Nino agrees, not looking away from him. When Sho looks at Ohno, Ohno simply gives him a reassuring nod. “He has to leave for Tenjin first thing in the morning. We need him gone. I’ve extended our guild’s claim on the assignment long enough, and any longer would alert people that something is up, that we’re hiding something. If the marks disappear, we can declare him out of this plane.”  
  
“And you will get your money,” Sho says. It comes off as accusatory, but Nino has known him long enough to understand that he doesn’t mean it. His temper just gets ahead of him on most times.  
  
Nino’s lips curl into a small smile. “I don’t think he told you, but my plan was to partition the money to all those he touched. The Lotus will not earn a single cent, and as much as it pains me to let six million gold coins go, I believe it’s only fair. We didn’t earn any of that.” Nino gestures to the pouch between them. “Even if I accept the rest, I will have the money divided.”  
  
“And the guild?” Sho asks, just as the barkeep approaches to bring their ale. Keiko has apparently ordered on their behalf, to make them blend in. “What will you tell the guild members? When we’re back in Tenjin, they’re bound to know.” And once they know, Sho thinks, the way they look at us will change.  
  
Sho doesn’t fear being called a failure. He won’t mind being categorized as one of those who succumbed, because that’s what happened. But his mistake and shortcomings are his own, and he will never forgive himself if it follows Nino and the guild Nino has worked so hard to establish and maintain. Sho has been remiss regarding his duties as Nino’s vice, and now he has dragged Nino into the mess he himself created.  
  
He has done too much damage already.  
  
When Nino simply looks at him, Sho gives his friend a small smile. “If you need me to disappear, just ask. I have inconvenienced you enough. If you ask me to vanish from Tenjin, I will do it.” He’d do anything for Nino, and that extends to following anything Nino says.  
  
“Certain guild members will be informed of the true events that happened in this town, excluding Ohno-san and Keiko-chan here,” Nino tells him, ignoring his offer entirely. “That means Becky—because I dare you to hide anything from her, you just can’t—and Aiba-shi. He has to know; he is the guild’s witch doctor. He’d know that you have something on your skin the moment he sees you, and I don’t just mean that thing on your neck.” Nino grabs his tub of ale, chugging it and scowling at the taste. He complains about it being diluted before continuing, “But the rest? They’ll know the same story that majority here knows.”  
  
Sho must have been making a surprised face because Nino suddenly sighs. “It’s not that I don’t trust them. They are my recruits, my hunters, my informants, my watchers, my friends, even my family. But as guild master, I am to do what I think will be the best for everyone in the guild. And so I choose not to inform everyone of the happenings in this town.”  
  
“Provided?” Sho asks, knowing how Nino’s thought patterns go.  
  
Nino smiles, a genuine grin of amusement at that. “It’s been three years since we last talked about something like this, something that doesn’t involve me nagging about your depleting earnings.” The nostalgia regarding their days as partners makes Sho grin. “But yes, that will only happen provided he comes down to Tenjin before we do and he fulfills his part in the arrangement. I can always have Becky watch out for his arrival. She’ll know it’s him without exerting too much effort.”  
  
Jun seeing his end of the bargain is something Sho can’t promise, and he tells Nino as much. “He is not tied to anyone, Nino.” Most certainly not to me, he doesn’t say.  
  
Beside him, Sho catches the corners of Keiko’s lips turning up. When Sho turns to her, she gives him a look, and across them, Ohno laughs a bit. Sho turns to Nino, clearly missing the joke, and it’s Nino who gives him a meaningful look.  
  
“Of course he is not tied to you, Sho-chan,” Nino says sweetly. “He’s not the one marked.”  
  
Sho takes a sip from his ale rather than comment on that, and he scrunches his nose at the almost watery taste. “Still, I can’t promise he’ll do his part in the plan. I left him in the guild house, Nino. For all we know, he might be gone.”  
  
Nino’s lips twitch. “Your traps are still in effect, Sho-yan,” Nino reminds him, crossing his arms and leaning back against his chair. “Mine aren’t. I dismantled them while you were otherwise preoccupied. But since yours are still there, he can’t leave.” Nino tilts his head, smiling. “Unless you only remembered about that now?”  
  
Sho looks away, and Nino laughs softly. “And so for this plan to work, I need you to take down those enchantments you erected all over this town during the night. It’s going to be a lot of work, and while I do know you’re still exhausted, I’m afraid I’m going to put you to work.” Nino turns to Ohno before looking back at Sho. “Oh-chan here will accompany you while Keiko-chan and I will return to the guild house to inform our new recruit of the plan.”  
  
At one twitch of Sho’s eyebrow, Nino waves a hand. “They don’t know his real name. I made him a promise that only three people will know and I intend to honor that. However we do need to use a name to address him.”  
  
“Matsumoto,” Sho says instantly. “That’s how he called himself when we met in Nie.”  
  
“Very well, Matsumoto-kun it is.” Nino gives Keiko and Ohno a look, and the two only nod at him. “I recruited very excellent people, good job, me,” Nino mumbles to himself, something that makes Sho roll his eyes. “So that’s it, Sho-yan. We part ways here. You and Ohno-san to the gates, and Keiko-chan and I will be heading back. If he’s there in the house, I’ll tell him about the plan. Do you think he’ll find it agreeable?”  
  
From what Sho knew, Jun can be stubborn and prideful, someone who is likely to ask questions to ensure that the plan is foolproof. “He might have a couple of questions about this.”  
  
“That’s not a problem for me,” Nino says confidently. When their eyes meet, Nino plasters on a smile Sho has known for years. “I am the only one who can handle your volatility and unpredictability, Sho-chan. I can handle any tantrum he will throw at me.”  
  
Sho nods, and Keiko stands, followed by Ohno. Sho taps on the link inside his head to tell Jun that he should expect Nino, and he receives an instant acknowledgement. He turns, seeing that Nino has the pouch strapped to his belt and is awaiting what he has to say.  
  
"I think he's waiting for you in the guild house," Sho says. It earns him Nino's grin.  
  
"As he should." They exchange a look, and Nino's expressions shifts. "Are you worried that he won't stick around?"  
  
Sho shakes his head. He only answers the question once the four of them are standing outside the pub, basking in the chilly nighttime breeze. "I can't make him stay if he doesn't want to." He faces Nino and looks at him seriously. "Be careful."  
  
Something flashes over Nino's eyes before Nino nods. They both know that Jun has regained his strength thanks to Sho, and that he can harm anyone should he wish it. Sho can't vouch for Nino, not this time, because Jun's promise of not wanting to hurt anyone technically only extends to Sho alone.  
  
"You are going to avenge me though?" Nino asks with a tiny grin. "If he kills me?"  
  
Sho can't answer quickly enough. "I'm going to send him to limbo myself." No matter what it takes.  
  
Nino seems satisfied, already taking off in the direction of the guild house. Keiko follows him, but not before offering Sho and Ohno a slight nod. "You have until dawn to remove your traps. We meet in the guild house in the morn."  
  
Sho tilts his head in acknowledgement, and together, he and Ohno make their way to the town gates.


	9. Patience

It takes him hours to completely obliterate the traces of his intricate rune work, and even with Ohno quietly assisting him and letting him get some respite before he completely exhausts himself, he still took longer than expected.  
  
When he’s done, the sky is giving way to dawn. There’s a light tinge of purple at the edge of the pine trees over the horizon, signalling that the night is over. Despite the bleakness of Yomi, it can’t hide the gradual disappearance of the moon and stars from the sky.  
  
He and Ohno head back to the guild house without another word. Ohno is light on his steps, a characteristic trait of his that Sho has gotten accustomed to in his stay in Nie. Sho’s footsteps are heavier, the soles of his boots digging into the dirt and the occasional lumps of mud.  
  
Ohno only speaks when the guild house is in sight. “Is he worth all this?”  
  
There’s no judgment from the question, only curiosity. Sho doesn’t know if Ohno asked the same question to Nino before he agreed to backup Nino’s story. But Ohno is asking him now after hours of silence and working patiently alongside him without complaint, so Sho feels indebted to him somehow.  
  
“I don’t know.” He wants to be honest. Nino is risking a lot with this plan—his reputation as guild master along with the guild’s reputation in the business, Sho’s image as a hunter under his wing—but Sho knows that Nino is not doing it for Jun.  
  
Nino is doing it because Sho asked for his help.  
  
“He may not honor his word,” Ohno says, addressing Sho’s unspoken fear. He’s as perceptive as ever. “And if he doesn’t, where does it leave you? He already got what he wanted from you. He remains on this plane because of your mercy.”  
  
“It’s not mercy,” Sho counters immediately. “It wasn’t mercy that stilled my hand that time.”  
  
Ohno levels him with a gaze. “Then what? It has to be more than attraction, Sho-kun. I have seen him. I know how appealing he can be and that’s likely attributed to his nature. But for you to do this, even if I hadn’t known you for that long, there has to be a reason that is far stronger than attraction. Reason enough for you to turn back on your ways and choose otherwise.”  
  
Sho turns to the direction of the town gates, and the foggy path leading to Nie just beyond. “On our way here, we talked.” He and Ohno stop walking, the guild house some meters away. “He asked me a great many things. I don’t remember most of them, but what I do remember is that there are many things he hasn’t seen, a lot he hasn’t experienced.”  
  
He remembers Jun’s face when they had a cracking fire before them, the golden embers accentuating the color of his eyes. The curiosity and the slight longing he saw in Jun when he spoke about his life in Tenjin, the guild headquarters, his friendship with Nino.  
  
“You wanted to share them,” Ohno finishes for him, and Sho simply nods. He wants to show Jun a side of humanity that doesn’t involve hunting down his kind, that there’s something else about them, something to be cherished despite being mortal and not having eternity.  
  
“The attraction only comes second,” Sho clarifies, trying to lighten the mood. He has admitted enough to Ohno. If Jun turns back on the agreement, so be it.  
  
When Sho looks at Ohno, the watcher gives him a brief nod. “You should tell these things to Nino. And to him as well. They both would want to know.”  
  
“I think I will,” Sho agrees. Ohno gives him a small smile before making his way to the guild house, and Sho follows him. He has obtained Ohno’s acceptance, that Ohno respects his decision and doesn’t hate him for it.  
  
They make their way up the wooden steps, and out of habit, Sho clinks the knocker against its base thrice.  
  
It’s Keiko who opens the door. “Breakfast is nearly ready,” she says, offering them a welcoming smile. She steps aside, allowing them to enter, and Sho’s eyes narrow at the sight of the dining room table.  
  
Nino is seated at the head of the table, his chin plopped on his knuckles, wearing a smirk that has Sho bracing himself. Jun, meanwhile, is leaning against the table, only turning his head to face them when Sho’s close enough. Jun only looks at him, and Sho remembers that Jun can recognize him by scent alone. He must have known Sho was arriving.  
  
“He doesn’t like the plan, Sho-yan,” Nino says from his right. “Though he refuses to say that outright.”  
  
“He tells me you agreed to this,” Jun addresses him. Jun’s wearing the same outfit Sho first saw him in, his thighs encased in tight-fitting trousers. The tunic he has on shows the outline of his arms, the tips of his broad shoulders.  
  
When their eyes meet, Sho knows Jun caught him staring. Sho clears his throat, something Nino snickers at. In his periphery, he sees Ohno following Keiko to the kitchen, presumably to help her wrap up. “I did agree to it. All night long, I removed my rune work with the help of Ohno-san. You can go.”  
  
He doesn’t say Tenjin, and when Jun’s eyes narrow, Sho knows they are on the same page. Jun can go wherever he wishes. Sho’s practically giving him the freedom, something Nino suggested the night before.  
  
In all honesty, he wants to be in Tenjin in two weeks’ time, to find Jun there. But he can’t demand it from Jun and it would be utterly selfish of him to do so.  
  
“Do you,” Jun begins quietly that Nino is obviously straining his ears just to hear across them, “do you wish for me to be gone?” His voice is hollow, and something inside Sho clenches at the sound of it.  
  
“You are free to go wherever you wish,” Sho clarifies. He and Nino exchange a look, and at Nino’s encouraging nod, he continues. “But you have to leave after breakfast.”  
  
“Should we find you in Tenjin,” Nino interjects, and Jun turns to the direction of his voice, “and that’s in around two weeks because we’re not like you who can hop from place to place with little trouble, the deal stands. We introduce you as the new recruit. You do what we agreed on, and I do what we agreed on.”  
  
Jun faces him again, and this time, Sho looks away for Jun not to see the hope in his eyes. He wants to see Jun in Tenjin, wants him by his side as he dutifully assumes his position as vice guild master. But that’s not up to him, and he’s aware of Nino’s promise that they don’t keep slaves.  
  
There’s a hand on his elbow, suddenly tugging insistently. “A moment,” Jun says. Sho looks at Nino, who’s grinning wide before nodding, even waving a hand in dismissal.  
  
“If you miss breakfast,” Nino calls as Jun pulls him inside one of the bedrooms—Sho’s, “it’s not my fault anymore.”  
  
They get inside and Jun pins him against the door, the bulk of his own weight causing it to shut. There are Jun’s strong arms on the sides of his face, effectively trapping him, and yet Sho refuses to look at him.  
  
A finger tilts his chin up, and when Sho stubbornly turns his head away, Jun grips his chin with force. “I told you that I will only leave when you ask,” Jun reminds him, his breath hot on Sho’s face. He’s too close, and Sho, as always, finds it difficult to retain cognitive thought whenever space is almost nonexistent between them. “Is this your way of asking?”  
  
How can he not understand? Sho doesn’t ask for commitment because he doesn’t expect it. Jun is free to do whatever he wishes, and much as something inside Sho stings at the thought, that includes him being welcome to go anytime.  
  
“This is me telling you that you are free,” Sho answers. His hands reach for Jun’s tunic, bunching the fabric in his fingers to keep himself grounded. “But allow me to warn you that if you so much terrorize another town, I will hunt you down, and this time, I won’t lift the entrapment and the binding.”  
  
“Then banish me now,” Jun says, thumb tracing Sho’s bottom lip. “I might run. I might touch another. You can come down to the center of this continent, to your beloved guild in Tenjin and not find me. The next time you hear word about me might be the time I am jeopardizing your plan, tainting your name along with your guild’s.” Jun leans forward, breath mingling with Sho’s. “The wise thing to do is to banish me from this plane, send me back to where I came from.”  
  
“You think I don’t know that?” Sho whispers. He wonders who will give in first. The want must be radiating off him, something Jun can smell, can feel underneath his fingers.  
  
“Then what is stopping you?” Jun asks, his voice low, indicating that he wants Sho just as much. Maybe that will never change between them. Jun’s fingers hover over Sho’s lips, as if he’s trying to memorize the shape of Sho’s mouth by touch alone. “Why won’t you banish me?”  
  
Sho waits until Jun’s fingers disappear from his lips. They reappear on the side of his jaw, mapping the curve with featherlight touches. “Because I trust you.” To keep your word, to prove that this is all worth it, that I’m not making the biggest mistake in my career, in my life.  
  
“Fool,” Jun says, finally bridging the distance between them. His other thumb traces over the puncture wounds on Sho’s neck, in possessive figure eights that make Sho moan, opening his mouth for Jun’s tongue. He pulls at the fabric in his fists, trying to resist the temptation to slip his hand underneath the garment to feel Jun’s taut skin. It’s one thing to touch him in his true form and another to have this guise at his fingertips. Sho wants all of it, both of him, and he’s certain Jun can tell when Jun buries one hand in his hair to deepen the kiss.  
  
Jun curls his tongue inside his mouth, mapping out every ridge, every contour with familiarity. Jun kisses him with the same passion he had whenever he indulges himself in Sho, and Sho tries to keep up, licking at the hard palate in Jun’s mouth before finding his tongue, meeting him halfway.  
  
When Sho feels Jun’s knee pressing against his groin, he nibbles on Jun’s bottom lip. “You have to go,” he mumbles, something Jun silences with a growl and another hard kiss.  
  
He pulls at the fabric of Jun’s tunic to get his attention. “Jun,” he says, half muffled by Jun’s mouth. “We can’t. You have to leave.”  
  
Jun seems to get the hint. He licks at Sho's lips for one last time as he pulls away, and Sho’s pleased to see the blush creeping up on Jun’s cheeks. Resisting is as hard for Jun as it is for him, and it’s a thrilling notion for Sho. Jun moves away from him, backing in a few steps as Sho attempts to breathe normally. He purses his lips, savoring Jun’s taste, and there’s warmth settling at the pit of his stomach.  
  
“After breakfast,” Jun begins, and he sounds ragged, like he just exhausted himself from working hard, “I will take my leave.”  
  
It’s his yes, and Sho can only nod. When Jun offers him a hand, he takes it, lets Jun pull him away from the door so they can step outside and rejoin the others.  
  
He doesn’t miss Nino’s knowing look along with Keiko’s smile full of meaning, and he deliberately turns his focus on Ohno as he takes the seat that is far from Jun. He gives Nino one nod to indicate that Jun has agreed to leave, and Nino only plasters on a smirk that he resolves to ignore.  
  
When Jun asks him to pass the salt, using his name in the same way he does when they’re wrapped around each other and Jun’s panting hard against his neck, Sho gives him a disapproving look, something that Nino cackles about. Ohno snickers and Keiko downright giggles, and Sho shakes his head, feeling so betrayed, though a part of him thinks that he won’t mind experiencing this in Tenjin even if he’s practically the butt of the joke.  
  
“I hate all of you,” he says halfheartedly, leveling Jun’s triumphant smirk with a look.  
  
\--  
  
They part ways with little fanfare. He doesn’t see Jun out, having chosen to help Keiko tidy up. A single poke inside his head is the only indication that Jun has left, something he returns with encouragement.  
  
“You still have something you’re not telling me,” is how Nino welcomes him when he reappears in the kitchen. Ohno is preparing for their return to Nie, currently hunched over near the fireplace and rechecking the supplies Keiko prepared the night before.  
  
Sho’s fingers pause on the porcelain, the dishcloth currently wrapped around the curve of the plate. He’s helping Keiko with the dishes. “You’ve known me for years, Nino. You know what’s in my head.”  
  
“And I’m telling you to shove it,” Nino snaps, standing beside him. “If you feel guilty for what you did, thinking it inconvenienced me, Oh-chan, and Keiko-chan, get over it. It’s done. We let him go.”  
  
“And yet he remains as our responsibility,” Sho shoots back.  
  
Nino hums at that. “That’s true. But you trust him, don’t you? Why else would you let him leave? You wouldn’t call me all the way up here if you didn’t think he was worth it in the first place. Now we’re all walking blind here, Sho-chan. Whether it was good investment or not on our part, only time will tell.”  
  
Sho knows where this conversation is headed, so he steers away from the one thing he doesn’t wish to address at present. “How long do we wait before we head back?”  
  
Nino gives him a once over before meeting his eyes once more. “Until his sigils vanish.” At the expression on Sho’s face, Nino tilts his head. “That’s a risk we have to take. So when we’re going to leave is up to you. When his mark on you is gone, that means he’s far enough and we can conduct business as usual.”  
  
“You promised him two weeks,” Sho says as a reminder. If he doesn’t show up in Tenjin at that time, if there’s any chance that Jun is waiting for him there, who knows what he will do?  
  
“Becky can handle him if he tries something,” Nino assures him. “Not enough to banish him, no, but enough to teach him a lesson not to do it again. I’m not saying he’s planning something and that he’s as impatient and as volatile as you, but if this plan goes south, I have people who are more than capable to contain the matter until we’re there to act.”  
  
Nino takes the plate from Sho and cleans it himself, placing it on the rack. Keiko doesn’t say anything beside them, and when she’s done, she leaves the pile of wet porcelain for them to wipe. “Spotless, Sho-kun,” she reminds him. “That means I won’t get to see any droplets on the surface.”  
  
“Bossy,” Nino retorts at her retreating figure, while Sho just nods. Nino turns to him, taking the plate he has just finished wiping to place it carefully in Keiko’s rack. The common occurrence in the Lotus as a guild is that the members can boss around their superiors, and it delights Sho that Nino’s no different despite always reminding people that he’s the guild master.  
  
Guild master or not, Nino, like him, would rather face demons and exterminate them than cross some people.  
  
“As soon as it disappears on your skin, we take off, collect the remaining three million. I have asked Ohno-san to coordinate with the watchers that we have in the other towns. I made calculations based on his victim count.” Nino shoots him a look. “Not including you, of course, but six million divided to a little less than two hundred people means approximately thirty thousand each. Not a bad deal, is it?”  
  
“They will wonder where the money came from and why,” Sho says, choosing to ignore the fact that Nino didn’t count him as a beneficiary. “What’s going to be your explanation for that?”  
  
“Charity,” Nino says, and he laughs when Sho’s eyes widen in disbelief. “I miss that incredulous look you have on your face, Sho-chan, whenever I say something like this. More than hunting, I miss being able to do this to you regularly. You never stay in Tenjin long enough to hang out with me.”  
  
Sho hands him another plate, something Nino takes without complaint. “You’re the one who said I become insufferable when I’m not working. You are the one who complains about me whenever I try to stick around. You’re the one who sends me away to missions.”  
  
“Because you whine,” Nino points out, even waving a hand. “You whine about inactivity, the lack of something to do. The longest time you remained at my side in Tenjin, to actually do your job as a vice guild master, you complained about being restless every single day, and I sent you away the day you snapped and terrified the poor courier for not delivering the job postings efficiently.”  
  
Not one of Sho’s best moments. “Still,” he counters, refusing to lose, “you’re the one who makes me leave, so don’t say I don’t spend time with you.”  
  
“Well now you have one more reason to remain in Tenjin should our friend Matsumoto-kun honor his word.” Nino accepts the last from the pile, careful not to break the delicate porcelain. “Surely you’ve thought about that? That if he remains, you are to stay with him? The deal is that he stays off the radar provided you attend to his…needs.” Nino’s practically leering at him, but Sho only rolls his eyes.  
  
“I know that.”  
  
“Then you know what it means.” Nino’s expression turns serious. “You have to give up something as you gain another, after all.”  
  
The hunt. Sho’s profession, the one thing he knows he’s good at. If Jun remains with him in Tenjin, it means retirement for him. He will work as the Lotus’ vice guild master full-time, assisting Nino in maintaining their guild houses in different towns in the continent. It’s a lot of work, but not as thrilling as the job Sho came to know and to enjoy.  
  
Can he do that? A part of him wants Jun to be there when they finally arrive in the guild headquarters, but there’s a portion inside him that doesn’t want to let go, the one that loves his job and is practically tied to it.  
  
“Like you told me earlier, Nino,” he says, meeting Nino’s intense gaze, “only time will tell.”  
  
Nino reaches over to squeeze his shoulder. When he speaks, he goes back to the money talk, something Sho appreciates. “As soon as the partitioning is complete, I will declare that the Lotus refused to accept the payment on account of a late extermination. We have a reputation to maintain and prompt completion of an assignment is one of those. The reward gold will automatically go in the hands of those our playful little friend had his fun with, as indicated in standard guild protocol.”  
  
They join Ohno by the fireplace, who tells them that their supplies are ready whenever they have to leave. Sho doesn’t attempt to palpate the sigil on his hip; he can’t stomach the idea of Nino knowing where it is exactly on his body. Nino will be merciless with his insinuations.  
  
“The moment it’s gone, we move. Nie, then the next small villages. There is a caravan that can take us directly to Tenjin so prepare your money Sho-chan,” Nino says as he examines his cuticles, but Sho doesn’t miss the grin on his face. “Of course you’re paying. After all you put me through and will continue to put me through, it’s only natural you pay me back.”  
  
Sho should have known that Nino will considered the debt of gratitude paid if he hands over something shiny. “When we get to Tenjin, the next time you handle monetary matters, I will have a say in it.”  
  
Nino spreads his palms. “Not a problem for me, vice guild master. It’s about time you do your job.”  
  
“Thank you,” Sho suddenly says. The surprise is evident on Nino’s face before he blinks it away. “You could have done otherwise, but you didn’t. Thank you.”  
  
Nino sighs. “Sometimes I wonder who’s the bigger fool. The one who called me all the way here, or the one who let you come up here in the first place.” Nino waves a hand in dismissal. “This is me repaying you when you stuck out your neck for me three years ago. This is nothing compared to that.”  
  
It’s not nothing, Sho thinks. Nino rushed all the way to the north and when Nino could’ve killed him and handled the banishment himself, he didn’t. He stuck with Sho and Sho’s decision, even devised a way that wouldn’t tarnish any of their names. Nino’s plan is not foolproof, but it’s concrete enough that they can act on it and make it happen. And that’s good for Sho, seeing as this is all his doing.  
  
The things he will do for Nino without hesitation, Nino will do for him also.  
  
Sho simply nods, and when they hear Ohno’s quiet snore from one of the plush cushions, they exchange a grin.  
  
\--  
  
On the third day of staying in Yomi, Sho discovers that the sigil has disappeared from his hip bone.  
  
He immediately informs Nino, who orders him to get ready. They leave for the town hall quickly, already taking their knapsacks with them. Nino intends to make the travel back to the capital as soon as they settle the remaining affairs.  
  
Nino hands over the money to Ohno as soon as they receive it, and Keiko walks with them up to the town gates. Nino thanks her for her hard work over the past few weeks, something she smirks at.  
  
“I’m actually going to miss having troublemakers to watch over,” she says, looking at Sho, and she laughs when Sho flushes. “Have a safe journey, and anything else I need to inform you about, I will do so by ceroscopy.”  
  
“Sure you don’t want to be a hunter?” Nino asks her. “I think you’ve got the right attitude for it. The skill will come through proper training and we’ve got people who are more than capable to help you with that. We can have someone else take your post.”  
  
Keiko looks thoughtful, and Sho has to admit, if Keiko agrees, he would personally support her. “I’ll think about it.” She gives them a look. “You hunters have the impression of making people’s lives difficult, and I’m not so certain I want to abandon my high-paying job to be someone like that.”  
  
“Your high-paying job is thanks to me, so please, do think about it.” Nino gives her a salute as Sho does one of his perfunctory bows. Beside him, he catches Ohno nodding at her. “We’ll be taking our leave.”  
  
Nino turns, already walking down the muddy road. A drizzle fell over during the night, and amidst the fog is the earthy scent of petrichor. The smell of the ground will be their company. It will take them a day to reach Nie and almost two weeks from there back to the capital.  
  
Sho bids Keiko goodbye by offering his hand. He can never thank her enough. It’s because of her discretion that they had the happening under wraps. She shakes it with a smile, and Sho excuses himself, following Nino and Ohno and finally leaving the eventful town of Yomi behind.  
  
\--  
  
They reach Nie without much ceremony, and as soon as they step inside the guild house, Nino excuses himself to take a nap, declaring they will leave first thing in the morning and that Sho’s money better be ready for the caravan.  
  
Ohno promises to wake him up for breakfast tomorrow and despite him being not that sleepy, Sho considers himself dismissed. He takes a bedroom to himself, the same one he stayed in the last time he was in this town.  
  
Sleep comes to him far longer than it should’ve, and Sho knows it’s because of his lingering fears, his doubts. So far the plan is going smoothly. When Nino outright claimed that the demon is banished and that he and Sho both handled it, the mayor of Yomi assured them that she will inform the rest of the towns. Nino’s decision with the money is also propagated among the affected areas, but Nino didn’t dare trust the municipalities with the money, saying that he had enough of politics interfering with the business.  
  
So instead, the Lotus will personally see to it that the gold gets divided equally and delivered safely, which means that Ohno’s job is far from done since Nino appointed him to oversee the matters personally. Nino’s calculations are in Ohno’s capable hands, and as soon as he and Nino leave for Tenjin tomorrow, Ohno will make his move.  
  
Hopefully, when they return to the headquarters, all six million gold coins are in the hands of those almost two hundred something people. Word has gotten out that the Lotus refused payment, and the thought of the consequences of that decision is something Nino has been laughing about for a while.  
  
“They’re all going to wonder what Ninomiya smoked to let go of something as big as that,” was what Nino kept saying as the three of them trudged on to Nie some hours ago.  
  
But despite things going according to plan, anxiety still creeps upon Sho. The capital is akin to the pearly gates to him at the moment. Reaching it will determine how he goes with his life in the years to come, if retirement is merely days away or something he can put off until his limbs refuse to follow him anymore. He has no problems about staying as Nino’s vice; that’s his job. But will that be enough for him? That’s the part he isn’t certain of and he dislikes it when he’s filled with so much doubt.  
  
_You think too much_ , he receives suddenly, and he recognizes it as Jun in his head. _Shouldn’t you be asleep?_  
  
It’s been four days since Sho has last seen him, and he itches to ask where Jun is. He resists though, instead going for _Thinking helps me sleep._  
  
Amusement washes over him, and he’s certain Jun is laughing. _That is a lie._  
  
_You think you know me that well?_ Sho retorts, closing his eyes. If he can focus on Jun’s voice, on Jun’s presence, he can believe that Jun’s there in Tenjin despite the odds telling him otherwise.  
  
_I do know that you need to be sufficiently fatigued for you to cease being stubborn and find some rest._ Sho doesn’t miss the implication in the sultry tone, and he can’t help licking his lips in anticipation.  
  
He keeps his hands linked on top of his stomach as he gets comfortable on the bed. Maintaining this link without a candle is mentally exhausting, but he doesn’t want Jun to go yet. Who knows when will be the last time Sho will hear from him? _The last time we did this, you left me hanging._  
  
That makes Jun laugh, a rich sound full of mirth. _I asked you if you needed something and you asked me to leave. Do not pin this on me._  
  
_I’m not sure I trust you._ Sho shifts, the mattress creaking minutely under his weight. _The first time, you watched me as I slept._  
  
_And as unattractive your snoring is, I remain._ Something changes in Jun’s tone the next time Sho hears him and it makes his blood boil. _Where are your hands?_  
  
_Clasped together on my stomach. Don’t_ , he warns, and he only gets a mischievous laugh from Jun. _Nino’s in the next room and Ohno-san can come in any moment. I didn’t lock the door. Don’t._  
  
He hears his name, said so breathlessly that he can feel himself stir. _There is a lock on the door_ , Jun reminds him, and it’s taking all of Sho’s willpower not to listen to him and get up, to do as Jun suggests and prevent people from disturbing anything.  
  
_This is your way of making me sleep? By suggesting things that you could do to me as if I don’t know already?_ There’s nothing new about this approach, Sho thinks.  
  
_We haven’t even begun._ Sho gets a sudden burst of want, warming his insides with sweltering heat that reaches his bones, makes his toes curl. He clenches his hands into fists to keep them from straying down, from lifting his shirt and slipping inside his trousers. It’s what Jun wants him to do, and resisting has always been the game.  
  
_When I came that night, the first night, when I watched you sleep in order to see how you looked like, I wanted to know._ Sho can sense the lust creeping in his form, beginning in tiny waves that pool in between his thighs. His breathing is heavier now, and he can feel himself harden in the confines of his pants. _I wanted to know what I could do to you, if my touch can render you boneless, have you gasping. I wanted to hear you moan for me, have you needy and writhing that the only thing you can think of saying is my name._  
  
He says Jun’s name out loud, and he receives a wave of delight. _So many things I thought of doing, and yet I held back. But now that I know what I can do to you, I want to hear you. I left you hanging the last time, you said. Let me repay you for that one._  
  
It’s tempting, so tempting to just give in and take himself in his hand while the other ghosts over his nipple. He knows that everything he does to himself Jun will know because of the link, and that everything he feels Jun will feel. Even the resistance he tries to put on now is something Jun senses.  
  
_Last time I asked you to think of him._ Sho smiles at that. That was back when he still didn’t know the truth, and it feels like a memory of long ago. _Now, I want you to think of me._  
  
Sho sucks in a breath, biting his lip to curb in the temptation. Jun’s low voice is doing things to him, and with his eyes shut tight, he can pretend that Jun is merely whispering right against his ear, telling him these things personally. _Think of me, and imagine what I will do, what I can do._  
  
Sho does, and he sees it vividly: Jun is pinning him against the cotton sheets, the long lines of his body hovering over Sho’s own, and while he’s naked Jun isn’t. Jun’s weight on top of him is something he has gotten accustomed to, and Sho lets out a soft curse when his trousers suddenly feel too constricting.  
  
_Think of the things I’d let you do to me. All those desires you can’t voice out, I know. I know, Sho, and right now I want you to think of them and imagine what it would be like if you acted on them._ The effect is instantaneous, because in the next moment, Sho sees himself wrapped around Jun, Jun’s legs pulling him closer as he takes what he needs.  
  
He whispers Jun’s name as his hand strays lower, and he inhales in a sharp breath when his palm makes contact with the bulge in his trousers. He can’t resist rubbing himself, biting his lip to keep from moaning at the friction.  
  
_What do you want me to do, Jun?_ he asks, and he smiles at the surprise he felt. _Where do you want my hands?_  
  
He can feel the craving from the other side, the evident lust that transpires. _Place your hand inside your shirt._ Sho obeys, tracing his own skin with familiar fingers. Jun’s fingers are more slender and therefore lighter in their touches, and Sho tries to mimic it by having his fingertips dance over his ribs. _Up. Higher._ He does it, imagining that Jun is somewhere in the room with him, watching as he obeys every command. _Take your nipple in your hand._ He traces his fingers over the tiny nub, feeling it pebble under his touch. _Pinch it._  
  
Sho does, and the sensation makes him arch from the bed. The pressure of his palm against his clothed cock is not enough, but Jun hasn’t told him to take himself in his hand. Jun feels like an audience rather than a presence inside his head, and the thought of Jun seeing all of this is what makes him ask.  
  
_What else? Jun._  
  
Warmth courses over Sho, far too different from the fierce, almost savage wanting. He can’t describe it since he’s trapped in the haze, under the sway of Jun’s words. _Take yourself in your hand._ Sho’s hand moves immediately, but he hears the stern click of Jun’s tongue inside his head. _Slowly. Don’t rush. And use your other hand._  
  
That makes Sho pause in his movements. Jun knows that his right is his dominant hand, and having him do it with the other is…  
  
_Nino’s the ambidextrous one_ , Sho reasons, and it earns him a noncommittal hum, like Jun is waiting if he’s going to do it or not. No matter how hard Sho pokes at the link, he gets no reaction, and it’s only then that he resigns himself to doing it, removing his left hand under his shirt to unbutton his trousers.  
  
The relief is short-lived, and yet he can’t help sighing. His erection is freed, and he licks his palm to slick his hand, hissing as he wraps it around his length.  
  
Using his nondominant hand makes him shut his eyes tightly. The touch is still familiar since it’s him, but this hand doesn’t grip quite as well as the other, and so he ends up with the first stroke being too much, enough to make his hips surge from the bed.  
  
_Keep going_ , is the encouragement that he receives, and Sho curls his other hand to a fist and bites the back of it to keep the noises to himself. He thinks of Jun’s hands, of Jun’s mouth and imagines them on him, on different parts of his body. He pumps faster, listening to the lewd sounds of him pleasuring himself and hopes Nino from next door doesn’t hear him.  
  
_Do you want my hand, Sho?_ is the sudden question, just as he smears his precome all over the head of his cock with his thumb. _Or my mouth?_ He recalls the feeling of Jun’s warm, gifted mouth on him and he groans, muffled by the back of his hand. _Or better yet, do you think of being inside me?_  
  
Sho squeezes at the base of his length at that suggestion, envisioning it all too clearly. Jun spread under him, nails embedded on his shoulder blades as he drives in, fucks Jun into the bed. Or maybe against a table or any flat surface, with Jun bent over and Sho’s holding on to his hips as he pulls Jun back against him, taking him over and over. Would Jun moan his name, whimper in pleasure as Sho fucks him through every gasp, every sharp intake of breath?  
  
_I would tell you to go faster. Faster, Sho, and harder. Like you truly mean it._ In a split second, the imagery flashes before his eyes: Jun bracing himself against a desk and clenching around him so deliciously, enveloping his cock in blissful warmth. Telling him how he wants it, needs it, how Sho should do it.  
  
His hand is moving accordingly now, and despite its inexperience, the insides of Sho’s thighs are already tingling. _Jun._ He’s no longer aware if he’s saying it out loud or not, and he already has the indentations of his teeth against his skin.  
  
_If I ask you to stop, would you?_ The mere sound of his voice is making Sho’s hand stroke faster, obscene, slick sounds of him pumping his dick filling the room, and he flexes his thighs as pleasure courses through him.  
  
He doesn’t know if he can, but he’s willing to try. The sentiment is something Jun appreciates, if the elation Sho suddenly senses is any indication.  
  
Sho’s meeting his hand in its strokes now, that he’s arching from the bed and is steadily fucking his own fist. The door can open any moment and it will leave Ohno scandalized, but he doesn’t care, doesn’t remember. He hears Jun’s murmurs of encouragement and pretends that Jun’s here with him, bent before him and telling him to keep going, assuring him that he can take it, take it, take it and that Sho should just give it to him and not hold back.  
  
He’s close, so close that his cheeks are heating up, his heart is thumping wildly inside his ribcage. His moans are muffled by his fist and he turns his face to the side as pleasure sears through him. One word, just any word from Jun and he’s gone, he’ll make a mess—  
  
_Stop_ , comes the immediate order, and Sho thumps his head against the pillows in frustration, his hips lifting off the mattress, his heels digging into the cotton sheets. He’s biting on his hand painfully, and yet he makes a pathetic whimper as he tries to still his hips, his left hand wrapping tightly around the base of his cock to prevent himself from spilling.  
  
He begs Jun over and over, a litany of _pleasepleasepleaseJunletme_ coursing in his head. His thighs quiver from the effort and his hand trembles from the strain; he’s so worked up that he’s not too far from sobbing that he wants to come.  
  
_Ten days_ , Jun’s voice echoes in his head. _Ten days, Sho, and then you can._  
  
_You said you won’t leave me hanging._ He can’t hide his frustration, and he slowly lets go of his cock as he tries to regulate his breathing. If he so much runs a finger on his dick, it's over. _What are you doing now?_  
  
_Teaching you patience._ The arrogance is back, and Sho channels all of his anger through the link, something Jun only chuckles fondly at. _The sooner you depart from the mountains, the sooner you can. I’d let you. But not when you’re alone._  
  
That’s highly unfair, Sho thinks. He fixes his tunic with shaky fingers and waits until his erection has subsided minutely before he even attempts to touch it. _Don’t_ is Jun’s stern warning, but Sho merely slips his hard cock back inside his trousers, the material stretching obscenely.  
  
_I’m not as underhanded as you are_ , Sho sends, and he can sense Jun’s grin for that retort. Sho opens his eyes, focuses on the ceiling instead. Spotless as always, as expected from Ohno’s efficient maintenance. As vice guild master, he supposes he should pay proper attention to these things from now on.  
  
His cock twitches in his pants, and he clenches his hand to a fist to suppress the urge to continue from where he stopped. _If you get yourself off, know that I will know._ The tone is indicative that Jun will not like it if he disobeys, and a part of Sho is tempted to try it just to see what would happen if he did.  
  
_Sho._  
  
Sho manages to laugh at the pointed pronunciation of his name. _Ten days_ , he repeats, something Jun acknowledges. Jun is expecting him a week and three days from now, meaning he’s where Sho and Nino expect him to be. That makes Sho happy, somewhat.  
  
_Please don’t do this every night in those ten days_ , he adds an afterthought, and when he’s filled with mirth, a clear sign of Jun laughing and not promising anything, he simply shakes his head.  
  
\--  
  
He ends up having a fitful sleep and he attempts to compensate for the lack of rest by digging into the breakfast Ohno served in preparation for the trip back home. Sho’s actually going to miss Ohno, someone who did so much for him and never passed any judgment on him.  
  
Ohno sees them out of the guild house and helps them load their things in the caravan. Not that they have much to carry, but Ohno insisted on giving them a lot of bread for the journey along with fresh fruits. Sho refused to take the apples on account of what they make him remember, and he most certainly doesn’t need to react when Nino’s sleeping right beside him in the caravan.  
  
Jun will find that hilarious and while Nino will be scandalized, his mortification will eventually turn to mischief and he will never let Sho live the embarrassment down. So no apples, though he does take the oranges Ohno procured for them in the market.  
  
Sufficiently ready, they exchange their goodbyes. Nino entrusts the six million gold coins to Ohno and reminds him of the equal partitions, that it’s also his job to ensure that none of the watchers in the towns included are to have a cent. Ohno simply nods, accepting his official assignment from the guild master.  
  
Nino then thanks Ohno for all his efforts. “Come to Tenjin next time,” Nino adds, just as he’s about to enter the caravan. “The headquarters is close to the harbor, and the seas certainly have fish you haven’t reeled in yet.”  
  
Ohno strokes his chin at that, looking thoughtful. “Do I have to send word if ever I pay you a visit?”  
  
“Naturally; I’m the one who has to assign someone to take your place,” Nino snaps, and Ohno quietly chuckles. “I leave everything to you, Oh-chan.”  
  
With that, Nino disappears inside the caravan, leaving Sho with Ohno. He pulls the watcher in for a brief hug, saying thank you. When he pulls away, Ohno reaches up to pat his head.  
  
“I’m going to miss you, Sho-kun. Keiko-chan was right. We don’t get enough troublemakers around here.” Ohno turns to the driver, exchanging a nod of acknowledgement.  
  
“Anything happens, don’t hesitate to contact us. Me or Nino,” Sho says, reaching over to squeeze Ohno’s shoulder.  
  
Ohno faces him. “You’re retiring? Going to be like Nino?”  
  
Sho places his hands inside the pockets of his trousers, committing the town of Nie to memory. He will never see this place again unless Nino sends him to routine inspections of every guild house they have under their name. “I don’t know yet. But I’m going to be the vice Nino wants, all right. It’s about time.”  
  
Ohno strokes his nose, thumbing at the cartilage. “Whatever you decide on, I hope it makes you happy. Till we meet again.” Ohno offers him a hand and Sho shakes it firmly, expressing his gratitude with touch alone.  
  
It’s his farewell to Ohno, and when he enters the caravan, he finds Nino already munching on an orange. They take off, the sounds of the horses’ hooves against the dirt road indicating that Sho is to begin counting the days.  
  
“Is our friend waiting for us there?” Nino asks as he uses his dagger to peel another orange. His fingers work swiftly, slashing at the peel with expertise that Sho suddenly remembers how good Nino is with blades. “You seem too eager to get back, far more enthusiastic about it than when we left Yomi.”  
  
“Don’t litter in here, please,” Sho says, just as Nino pierces the long orange peel with the tip of his dagger. Nino smiles at him before opening one of the wooden windows and flicking the peel outside with a twist of his wrist. “Haven’t you heard anything from Becky?” Sho’s certain Nino spoke to Becky before they left the guild house in Nie. It’s part of protocol.  
  
Nino chews on a piece of orange after offering it to Sho and Sho shook his head. “I did, and believe it or not, Becky is utterly charmed. It was horrifying to watch her gush over him, and as soon as we get to Tenjin, I consider my days numbered because you two are going to be extremely annoying as you coo and fawn over him.”  
  
“We don’t coo,” Sho says defensively, and Nino only lifts an unamused eyebrow. He can’t deny that Jun can be charming; the mere sound of Jun’s voice can do things to him, after all. But he doesn’t coo over him, Nino definitely has it all wrong. “We don’t fawn either.”  
  
Nino scrunches his nose, a clear sign that he’s teasing just like the old days. “You should have seen your face on the basin when you asked for help. Utterly fucked out, Sho-chan, that’s how you looked like, and you claim you don’t fawn? Pity you don’t see your own face whenever you look at him. I wanted to puke.”  
  
Sho reaches over to swat Nino’s knee, something Nino avoids with practiced ease. He’s going to spend more than a week traveling with this man, and already Sho can hear the endless teasing, can see the trademark smirks accompanying them.  
  
He sighs, shoving his face in his hands. When Nino pats his head with a “There, there, wait until Aiba-shi finds out,” Sho makes a pitiful groan, something Nino laughs loudly at.  
  
The downside of returning to Tenjin, he realizes, is that the people closest to him will not hesitate to tease him mercilessly. If Nino’s at this level already, Sho can only imagine what it would be like to have Aiba and Becky backing him up.  
  
And Jun, knowing Jun, he will just give them extra firepower. Sho shakes his head, giving Nino a look of absolute betrayal, and this time, Nino is a little late in avoiding his swing, so Sho manages to hit his arm in a petulant attempt to get back at him.


	10. The Lotus

Sho has forgotten how Tenjin looked like.  
  
It took them fifteen days to reach Tenjin because of a mishap on the roadside that required their driver to change one of the wheels. Nino also allowed the driver a bit of respite so they made sure to stop during the darkness of the night, whenever they could no longer see the path before them.  
  
Jun wasn’t pleased about him being a little late, and Sho could tell because no matter how hard he tried to poke at the link, it wouldn’t budge. The last time Sho heard from Jun was five days ago, and Sho doesn’t know whether to be scared or excited about the fact that he kept Jun waiting.  
  
When Nino opens the door of the caravan, Sho takes a moment before stepping out; the scent that abruptly overwhelms his senses is far from what he remembers. He has become accustomed to the silence of Yomi and the quiet liveliness that Nie offers. Tenjin is vibrant with life, overflowing with activity and as busy as the last time Sho set foot on it. The sky is clear and the sun seems keen to bake the skin of anyone who chose to work hard under it, and Sho can feel the heat emanating from the cobblestones. He somehow misses the cool breeze emitted by the mountains now; summer is at its peak in Tenjin and the air is too humid for his liking.  
  
He carries his effects with him, taking slow, measured steps towards the guild house as the caravan speeds away.  
  
“Welcome home,” Nino says beside him. Unlike Sho, he doesn’t look uncomfortable. Nino dislikes the heat of summer, but he has associated himself with Tenjin and therefore no longer bothered by its surroundings. Nino’s not the one who’s been gone for long.  
  
“Been a while since I was here,” Sho mutters, not taking his eyes away from the symbol of their guild that is etched on the gold plating near the door. “And like you said, I don’t really stick around for long whenever I am.”  
  
“I know that. But just so you know, I promised the idiots inside that I’d return here with you, so we shouldn’t prolong this.” Nino says ‘idiots’ with such affection that Sho wonders if he can love his fellow guild members as much as Nino does. There’s pride and fondness in Nino’s voice, something Sho has heard the very first time he heard Nino address Keiko. “They’re awful at waiting.”  
  
“I think you have an abundance of those people in your guild,” Sho comments, remembering all those times Jun called him impatient. It runs in the guild, apparently.  
  
Nino laughs, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Sad thing about that, I picked those people myself. Maybe you should handle the recruiting process next time?”  
  
Sho lets himself be steered towards the doors, where his guild mates and friends are clearly waiting. When he and Nino step inside, there’s a momentary pause followed by loud cheering, like everyone’s truly happy to see them making it back. Some of his guild mates reach out to clap him on the back, others whistle and clap their hands. Whatever noise Sho heard the moment they arrived in the capital, this is much more.  
  
“No,” Sho says to Nino, as loudly as he can since the cheers are yet to subside, “I think you’re doing a good job and that’s something you should handle.” He feels warm and welcome and he’s a bit unsure if he deserves it.  
  
When Sho looks up, he sees Becky coming out of Nino’s office at the top of the staircase, followed by Aiba. Aiba looks near tears upon seeing them, and beside him, Sho hears Nino’s shrill order of “Don’t cry, idiot! We’re alive!”  
  
“I was worried sick!” Aiba claims, crossing the stairs in three strides. “Sho-chan!” He practically collides into Sho and Sho has to steady himself by holding to on Aiba’s arms.  
  
“I’m fine, Masaki,” Sho insists. He lets Aiba hold him for a few moments, offering Nino a sheepish smile as Nino continues shaking his head.  
  
“Seriously, Aiba-shi, you’re overreacting,” Nino says, swatting the back of Aiba’s head. “The sandalwood juice was delicious by the way.”  
  
Aiba finally pulls away from Sho to wrap his arms around Nino without warning. Nino complains, yelling endless requests of “Let me go, idiot, I told you, I’m alive!”, but Sho can see that Nino doesn’t bother to push Aiba away. Sho looks up, seeing Becky shaking her head at the sight of them.  
  
“As soon as you boys are done with that tearful reunion you’re having at the moment, we have to talk.” The way Becky says it offers no room for argument, and Sho would rather try to rile Jun up than cross her.  
  
Speaking of Jun…  
  
He looks around, finding no sign of him. No matter how hard he tries their link, there’s nothing. He meets Becky’s eyes and they share one look before she gestures for him to come upstairs. Sho glances to his side, and seeing that Nino has finally managed to successfully dislodge Aiba from him, he makes his way up the stairs.  
  
As soon as he, Nino, and Aiba are inside Nino’s office, they find Becky sitting on the desk, something Nino makes a face at.  
  
Becky clicks her tongue at him. “None of that, not after that swan dive to Yomi that you did.”  
  
“I was saving an idiot,” Nino says, lips curling a little. “An idiot who’s probably wondering where his good friend is.”  
  
Behind Sho, Aiba suddenly speaks. “You didn’t tell him he would be so frightening, Nino! His face was so strong! But Becky here, oh, if only you’ve seen her! She was so charmed! Can you imagine that? Becky, of all people, thinks he’s charming and was so accommodating to him on the day he arrived?”  
  
“Keep talking, Aiba-kun, and I’ll turn you to a mushroom,” Becky warns with a friendly smile. Despite that, Nino’s laughing, obviously pleased with Aiba’s information. Becky turns to Sho, deliberately ignoring Nino’s pleased giggles and Aiba’s meaningful smiles. “I sent him in an errand.”  
  
Errand? Jun? Sho can’t hide the surprise on his face. “You did what?”  
  
Becky looks amused, smirking at him triumphantly. “That’s right. In an errand. He’ll be back soon.”  
  
“How did you manage to make him leave?” Nino asks, finally recovering from his delight. He rounds the table and plops down his chair, sighing in comfort as soon as he manages to rest his head. “I missed this chair. I’m not leaving this chair again, you hear me, Sho-chan? I’m not moving away from this chair just because you asked, no. Never again.”  
  
Sho’s aware Nino’s merely exaggerating, but he indulges him. “I pray I will never have to ask you again.” He turns back to Becky. “What kind of errand and how did you get him to agree?”  
  
“Why, you sound so disbelieving,” Becky says, making a face at him. Sho raises his hands to appease her, to tell her wordlessly that he’s merely asking, not doubting Becky and her abilities to convince people. She’s as talented as Nino is when it comes to that. “Just for some items I need from the coven. I sent him away because he was too restless.”  
  
At that, Nino laughs loudly, practically cackling with his head thrown back. Aiba wraps an arm around Sho’s shoulder encouragingly, but his smile is particularly mischievous, like he’s merely two seconds away from teasing Sho.  
  
“Seems like you found your perfect match, Sho-san,” Nino says, thumbing at the corner of his eye. He’s too happy about this. “Was he annoying, Becky? Did he complain about the lack of activity, about how boredom threatens to eat him whole?” He doesn’t look away from Sho as he asks, and Sho has his tongue against his cheek. The three of them against him.  
  
When Jun finally comes back, that’ll make four.  
  
“He kept pacing and was becoming irritable. He nearly snapped at poor Aiba-kun there,” Becky tells them, pointing to Aiba with a twitch of her lips.  
  
Beside Sho, Aiba nods. “All because I wasn’t paying attention to what he was asking for on Becky’s behalf. Seriously, that’s some terrifying assistant you’ve got there, Becky.”  
  
“He’s just impatient,” Nino claims, waving a hand. “We arrived late, after all. Five days later than his expected time so of course he’s annoyed.” Nino’s leering at Sho now, and Sho just glares at him. “You’re up for a long night tonight, Sho-yan.”  
  
That makes Aiba laugh and Sho has to elbow him to his side just to shut him up. Becky’s giggling too, hiding her smiles behind her hands.  
  
Nino suddenly turns serious. “I forgot to ask. Becky, where does he sleep? You didn’t let him room with everyone, did you?” The males of the guild all share one large room consisting of bunk beds. It’s almost the same for the females, only that instead of all of them sharing one room, only five of them do. Five females per room, and that’s because Nino’s far more generous when it comes to their female recruits. They’re fewer in number and that makes them extra special.  
  
Only the guild master and the vice have separate rooms of their own, and now Sho understands why Nino asked. If Becky put Jun in the same room as the others…  
  
Becky scoffs. “I’m not an idiot, Nino. If I put him there, they’d know something’s up with him after only a few days. He’s rooming with Aiba-kun. Nobody dares approach that anyway.”  
  
Aiba has his own room which also functions as his laboratory because the last time Nino put him in the same place as the others, he set five beds on fire in the middle of the night. Since then, Aiba has his own place because Nino fears he will concoct something so alarming it will make half of the guild suddenly sick. Aiba’s room is also the one place that’s avoided by everyone in the guild, out of fear something will explode on them the moment they knock. Something perpetually smells burnt there, and from Sho’s experience, it’s best not to ask.  
  
“And he’s keeping Aiba-kun under control because of that,” Becky finishes with a smile.  
  
“That explains why I still have a guild house to go back to,” Nino says. “Is he so scary to you, Aiba-shi, that you refrain from your dangerous experiments?”  
  
Aiba pouts. “He gets angry when the room smells like smoke so I stopped with the fire experiments more than two weeks ago. It’s liquid nitrogen now, and so far, he’s not complaining about it.”  
  
“Well, I’m pretty sure he won’t be turning in for tonight so you can continue the fire experiment,” Nino tells Aiba, who grins broadly and flashes Nino a thumbs up. “Just don’t burn this house down or I will kill you.”  
  
“I won’t, I promise!” Aiba’s giddy now, practically radiating energy that he’s nearly bouncing on his heels.  
  
Nino waves him off. “Go back to your lab then. Continue whatever you’re doing. I’m sure you have an experiment you can’t look away from.”  
  
Aiba takes his leave at that, leaving Sho with Nino and Becky. “He can’t room with me,” Sho says, breaking the silence. He ignores the knowing smiles on Nino and Becky’s faces. “We don’t want the others to know that…”  
  
He pauses, causing Nino to chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Can’t let them know that there’s something between you two,” Nino finishes for him. “So I ask for quiet. Be discreet about it, all right? Keep it between you two so that no one hears anything and starts suspecting. I know he’s hot, Sho-chan, but exercise restraint.”  
  
“That’s,” Sho begins, closing his eyes in embarrassment, “that’s a little hard to do.” He opens his eyes after a few moments, looking at Nino with determination. “But don’t worry. I won’t fuck this up again.”  
  
“Feels like I’ve heard that before,” Nino says fondly. “Well then. Now that everything’s settled, I’d like to get some sleep. We’ve been together in a caravan for fifteen straight days and I haven’t seen any other face besides yours. I have cramps in various places because I’m not as young as I think I am, and so I really want to sleep.”  
  
Becky gets off the desk, shaking her head. “Always so dramatic, Nino. Whatever. Sweet dreams.”  
  
“I appreciate that, Becky, and thank you for all your hard work,” Nino says, his eyes already closed. He has his legs up on the table, his neck resting on the edge of his fluffy chair. He doesn’t look comfortable to Sho’s eyes, but it’s exactly how Nino sleeps so he doesn’t question it.  
  
Considering himself dismissed, he leaves, heading for his room.  
  
\--  
  
Sho wakes up to his room blanketed in complete darkness.  
  
He underestimated his exhaustion from the travel that he didn’t think he would just collapse on his bed and doze off as soon as he sees it, but that’s exactly what happened.  
  
He sits up groggily, stretching his limbs. He catches movement out of the corner of his eye and he stills, whipping his head sharply to check.  
  
“Fifteen?” Jun asks in the dark. His voice is devoid of any emotion, but something warm stirs at the pit of Sho’s stomach. “No, it’s actually sixteen, because I had to watch you snore unattractively and wait until you woke up.”  
  
“I’m sorry for the lateness,” Sho says, meaning it. Jun’s talking about the days in accuracy, and in a way, Sho feels guilty. He wanted Jun to be here and now Jun is here, obviously harboring a grudge at having been asked to wait. “We had to change the wheel in the caravan. That accident in the bog took a bit of our time.” Sho turns to the door and squints his eyes in the darkness, checking if it’s locked.  
  
It is.  
  
He can’t help the shiver that cascades down his spine at that knowledge. “How did you get in, by the way?” He can’t see Jun’s face very well, but he can feel Jun’s stare on him. “I hope nobody saw you because that would cause trouble, not only for me but also for Nino, and—”  
  
There’s a hand clamping over his mouth before he even realized it. Jun moved too fast, and now he’s on the bed, his weight on Sho’s lap as he stuns Sho to silence. “You talk too much,” Jun admonishes. Sho can’t still pick up anything from his voice, can’t figure out what he wants.  
  
Okay so he knows what Jun wants, but he’s not certain how Jun wants it tonight.  
  
This close, with the moonlight passing through the windows illuminating different parts of Jun’s face, Sho can see how long his eyelashes are. Desire courses through him in quick bursts, running through his veins in an almost drunken rush. The way Jun looks at him changes, and he finally leans into Sho’s space.  
  
“Answer me with just yes or no,” Jun orders, looking at him possessively. Sho nods his assent, and Jun finally lowers his hand. “Was your delay deliberate?”  
  
“No,” Sho answers honestly. “I told you, we had to change the wheel, and that took a bit—”  
  
There’s a finger on his lips, effectively shutting him up. Jun clicks his tongue. “I said just yes or no. Are you pleased to find me here?”  
  
It’s a little difficult for Sho to focus when Jun’s tempting weight is right on top of him but he manages to squeak out a “yes” that makes Jun smile, his teeth almost gleaming under the moonlight.  
  
Jun leans in closer to whisper in his ear. “Last question,” Jun says slowly, and the tiny hairs on Sho’s neck stand at his low voice, “did you come yet?”  
  
The question makes Sho blush. “No,” he responds, even shaking his head to express his truthfulness. Jun told him not to, promised him that he can once he arrives in Tenjin. And now he’s here, with Jun on top of him, and Sho can’t suppress the excitement he feels over what Jun has in mind.  
  
“Good,” Jun says against his ear, sounding extremely pleased. Sho shudders when he feels the wetness of Jun’s tongue curve around the shell of his ear, and he has to fist at the sheets on his sides to rein himself in. It feels too long since he last touched Jun. It’s taking all of his control not to give in and pin Jun down to the mattress, silence him with kisses.  
  
“I’ve always appreciated your honesty,” Jun tells him, lips making contact with Sho’s earlobe with each syllable he utters. “And so while I am a little irritated about the delay, I forgive you.” Sho bites his lip when Jun begins kissing the underside his jaw. His mouth is as warm as ever, as frantic and as desperate as Sho remembers.  
  
“I know what you want,” Jun murmurs knowingly. He sucks at the pulse point of Sho’s neck and Sho lets out a breath, tilting his head to the side to urge Jun along. “And yes, you can have it.” He pulls away from Sho’s neck to grasp Sho’s chin, making their eyes meet.  
  
Jun is only a breath away from his mouth the next time he speaks. “Do what you want with me.”  
  
Sho kisses him—hard and unrelenting. It’s as possessive as Jun himself is, with Sho burying his hands in Jun’s hair to taste him with his tongue, feel every moan, swallow every gasp for breath. Jun was never one to lose and so he meets Sho in the same intensity, full of heat and passion as he holds on to Sho’s neck.  
  
Sho flips them so Jun’s now lying on the bed, never pulling away from his inviting mouth. He cradles Jun’s head with one hand and touches Jun’s side with other, caressing toned muscles. He wants Jun, everything Jun’s willing to give him, but he also wants to take his time. He has so many things he wants to try, so many fantasies he wishes to act upon.  
  
“Seems to me you have plans,” Jun husks when they finally part for air. He gets his hands under Sho’s tunic, tracing familiar skin with practiced hands and Sho leans down to kiss the corner of his mouth. In this darkness, he can’t see the beauty marks surrounding Jun’s lips, but he’s been with Jun long enough that he knows exactly where they are. He plants a kiss on each of them, lingering a little on the one close to Jun’s chin.  
  
“I do, but like you always tell me Jun,” he whispers, never dragging his mouth away from Jun’s heated skin. Jun’s hands travel upward, thumbs circling at his nipples, and Sho bites down at Jun’s bottom lip lightly as a reaction. “I have to be patient.”  
  
Jun laughs softly at that, a breathy chuckle that fans Sho’s cheek. Sho finds his mouth again, drinking in his sighs and groaning into his mouth when Jun suddenly pinches both of his nipples before dragging his nails down Sho’s chest. It stings and Sho’s back arches.  
  
Sho retaliates by taking Jun’s hands in his own, shifting so he can hold on to Jun’s pale wrists and pin him down. His grip is not particularly strong; if Jun wanted to get away he could, but Sho knows he won’t. He has handed everything to Sho now.  
  
Jun licks his lips in anticipation, leaving them glistening. Despite the darkness, the moon illumines his face and there’s nothing there but want and excitement, which is, Sho’s positive, mirrored in his own.  
  
“Sho,” Jun whispers, and something snaps inside him. He kisses Jun again, with more teeth and tongue as he grinds his hips down, finding friction in that part of his body for the first time tonight. Jun moans but Sho muffles it with another fierce kiss, just as he lets go of Jun’s wrists to slip his hands inside Jun’s shirt.  
  
Unlike him who has scars in certain places of his body, Jun’s skin is smooth and spotless, save for the occasional beauty mark that Sho likes running his tongue over and kissing when he has the time. He rucks Jun’s tunic up, pulling away from Jun’s mouth to get it over his head. He doesn’t miss Jun’s smirk before Jun obliges, maneuvering his body so they can discard the garment together. Sho tosses it somewhere behind him before descending back, this time heading straight for Jun’s nipple that has a mark beside it.  
  
He sucks at the hardening bud as he runs his thumb repeatedly over the other, feeling Jun writhe underneath him. Jun holds his head in place as he arches, bringing himself closer to Sho like space still exists between them. Sho repeatedly licks at the tender skin, enjoying how Jun’s body reacts. He closes his teeth over the small nub and tugs, delighting in the sounds of Jun hissing.  
  
There’s an insistent pull on his hair that makes him stop, and he looks up to see that Jun’s breathing hard. “Come here,” Jun says, and he obliges, kissing Jun’s sternum up to his clavicle. Sho alternates between licking and sucking at Jun’s jugular until Jun’s grip on his hair tightens. He grins as Jun forces their mouths back together, and for a while he lets Jun kiss him silent, like Jun wants to devour him whole.  
  
Jun’s fingers catch on to the fabric of Sho’s tunic and Sho doesn’t wait for him to ask. He sits up, breaking their kiss to remove the piece of clothing himself. He fingers at the waistband of Jun's trousers, moving so he’s standing at the edge of the bed as he begins pulling them off. Jun raises his hips helpfully, and Sho has to remind himself how to breathe when he sees how much Jun wants him.  
  
He rains kisses on Jun’s leg, beginning from Jun’s ankle up to his knee. He climbs back to the bed slowly, lips never parting from Jun’s skin, and on his periphery, he catches Jun’s cock twitching when his mouth finally reaches the inside of Jun’s thigh.  
  
Sho moistens his lips before taking Jun into his mouth without warning, pulling away just enough when Jun surges upward as a reaction. A hand immediately goes to the back of his head, keeping him in place as he begins sucking, mouth moving effortlessly over Jun’s length.  
  
He can hear Jun’s breathless gasps above him and that only spurs him on, hollowing his cheeks and sucking harder, going so deep that he can feel Jun reach the back of his throat. He pulls away with a loud and obscene pop to rest his slightly aching jaw, replacing his mouth with his hand. He strokes Jun in the same manner he stroked himself, back when he was still in Nie and Jun was suggesting things to him.  
  
Precome pearls at the tip of Jun’s dick and Sho ducks down to lick it, swirling his tongue over the slit but not letting the head slip back into his mouth. Jun’s biting his bottom lip when Sho checks, watching everything he does with intense eyes.  
  
Sho shifts his grip on Jun’s cock to lick at its vein slowly. He doesn’t look away from Jun as he does so, wanting to see his every reaction. His own cock twitches inside his trousers at the sight of Jun spread and wanting in his bed, but he ignores it. Patience, he reminds himself. That’s what Jun’s been saying ever since. Time to prove it to him.  
  
When Jun lets out a tiny breath, Sho thinks that just won’t do. He moves his mouth further down, opening wide so he can slip one of Jun’s balls inside. That sends Jun to a moan of his name, and for a moment Sho’s grateful that he’s staying in the farthest corner of the guild house. Anyone would have surely heard that. He continues pumping Jun’s dick, now slick enough thanks to his spit, and with his other hand he keeps Jun’s hips in place.  
  
He stops when Jun’s thighs tense and he hears his name come out like a choked groan. Sho tilts his head at Jun in question, relishing how Jun looks like at the moment: face and chest flushed, breath coming out in gasps, sweat making his hair cling to the sides of his pretty face. His bottom lip is swollen because of how much he bit on it, and all in all the imagery makes Sho uncomfortable that he has to get off the bed and divest himself of his trousers.  
  
“Finally,” Jun says breathlessly from the bed when Sho’s naked. Sho rejoins him, this time aligning his body with Jun’s so he can loom over Jun and have the bulk of his body under his.  
  
Jun’s hands creep up his sides, up his back and his shoulders. He scratches lightly, making Sho hiss, and Jun cranes his neck to find his mouth, to suck on his tongue and take all of his moans for himself.  
  
Selfish, Sho thinks. Jun has always been one.  
  
Sho grinds down as he tries to keep up with Jun’s kiss and they both moan, albeit lost in each other’s mouths. The friction is too good that he does it again, rubbing his erection against Jun’s, gasping when Jun’s nails drag stinging patterns across his back. He breaks away from Jun’s mouth to suck at the junction where Jun’s neck meets his shoulder, his ears filled with nothing but Jun’s rushed breaths.  
  
Without pulling himself away from Jun’s neck, he fumbles at the top of his nightstand, overturning an unlit candle in the process. It lands with a dull thunk on the floorboards but Sho doesn’t care, trying to find that vial he keeps around for times like this.  
  
He makes a pleased noise when his hand closes over the small bottle, lifting his head from Jun’s neck as he swats lightly at Jun’s thighs to give him room.  
  
“You use that a lot whenever you’re here?” Jun asks, tilting his chin at the vial of oil in Sho’s hands.  
  
Sho hardly gets laid whenever he’s in Tenjin. Sleeping with a fellow guild member used to be unthinkable for him, which makes Jun the only guild mate he has ever shared a bed with. Nino has seen him naked of course, on account of their partnership from the years back, but never like this.  
  
Still, Sho likes the tone of Jun’s voice. “Jealous, Matsumoto?” he teases, removing the cork stopper using his mouth. He spits it to the side, figuring he’ll probably end up using all of what’s left.  
  
At the sight of Jun’s frown, he laughs. If he has ever used this oil for anything, it’s to help his own hand along. He hardly stays in this room in Tenjin, and when he does, it’s during the time he’s bored out of his mind, trying to find release as a way to pass the time.  
  
He leans down to place a placating kiss on Jun’s lips. “I can assure you, you’re the first guild member I ever slept with.”  
  
Jun lets out a tiny laugh at that. “How long has it been for you before I came along?”  
  
Sho nips at Jun’s chin for that question. “Not answering that.” He sits back to kneel between Jun’s splayed limbs and sucks in a breath when Jun grabs his own thighs to spread his legs invitingly, exposing everything. Sho’s cock twitches in excitement, and he has to swallow a lump in his throat at the display.  
  
“Well? If you’re simply content to stare, just tell me. Don’t waste my time,” Jun says cockily with that smirk Sho remembers from day one. Sho hurriedly coats his fingers in oil, making sure each digit is sufficiently wet before he brings his hand to Jun’s hole.  
  
He doesn’t ask and just slides one finger in, biting his lip to keep from moaning at how tight Jun is. Jun’s breathing goes heavier but he doesn’t make a sound. He just keeps his legs parted for Sho, though the grip he has on the back of his knees tightens when Sho starts stretching him slowly, working him open with a steady in and out of his finger. Jun has always been warm but he feels warmer inside, and Sho’s not sure if he can last long once he finally fucks Jun.  
  
However, not doing so would disappoint Jun greatly and Sho doesn’t really want that. He keeps his eyes on his hand as he adds another finger in, taking note of how this one slides in with less resistance compared to the other. He starts scissoring, slowly at first, until Jun’s hips try to meet him with each movement. When he checks, Jun’s cock is hard and dripping, lying heavily on his toned stomach.  
  
Sho wants it in his mouth while he’s doing this to Jun and he leans forward, wrapping his lips around the length as he moves his hand faster. He matches his hand’s rhythm with his mouth, head bobbing with each smooth glide over Jun’s shaft, and Jun moans, a pure sound of pleasure that runs down Sho’s spine.  
  
He’s thrilled that he can elicit such a sound from Jun.  
  
Sho keeps his lips wrapped around the tip of Jun’s cock, flattening his tongue before moving it in circles. When Jun gasps for breath, he slides another finger in and crooks them inside Jun’s tight heat. Jun’s hips surge from the mattress, his cock sliding further into Sho’s mouth and triggering Sho’s gag reflex.  
  
Sho pulls away, blinking back tears. He gives Jun a disapproving look, and at the sight of Jun laughing lightly, he crooks his fingers again, grinning when Jun groans as a response.  
  
He moves his hand faster now, in and out of Jun in easy strokes, trying to commit the sight of Jun writhing to memory. He’ll never get tired of this. Jun spread before him, flushed and warm and wanting, so ready and so willing—it’s all his.  
  
Without withdrawing his fingers, he slides up to find Jun’s mouth, to take every pleased sigh for himself. The positioning is a little awkward, with his hand still trying to move in between Jun’s legs, but Jun’s kiss is as intense as all of his kisses, meeting Sho’s desperation with his own. Sho easily finds Jun’s tongue and he shares Jun’s taste with its owner till there’s nothing but the familiar heat and the lack of oxygen between them.  
  
Sho plants one last kiss to Jun’s full lips before finally pulling away, extracting his hand from Jun and wrapping it around his own cock instead. He pours the remaining oil on his dick and smears his precome to further slicken himself before he holds on to the back of Jun’s thighs to align himself in front of Jun’s tight hole.  
  
He looks up, asking for permission with his eyes alone, and when Jun nods, he slides in slowly. He throws his head back at the sudden rush of heat enveloping him, and he bites his lip to prevent himself from thrusting in to the hilt. Jun’s still too tight despite the stretching from earlier and he feels too good, too promising that Sho tries to count his breathing to still himself.  
  
He’s only halfway inside Jun and he shifts, pushing further in and letting out a satisfied moan as soon as his entire length is in. He leans forward to kiss Jun and he ends up sheathing himself deeper, his balls snug against Jun’s ass. They both moan, and Sho reaches down to bat Jun’s hands away.  
  
“Let go,” he says, panting hard. Jun does and his legs wrap around Sho’s waist instead, drawing Sho’s body closer. Sho grabs both of Jun’s hands and raises them beside Jun’s face before entwining their fingers together.  
  
He waits and resolves not to move, giving Jun time to adjust. It only takes a few seconds before Jun looks at him dead in the eye and demands, “Fuck me like you mean it.”  
  
Sho does, pulling out till only the head of his dick is inside before slamming in with such force that the headboard makes contact with the wall. Under him Jun lets out a choked moan, like he was trying to suppress it but was unable to, and Sho just snaps his hips harder, focusing on the feeling of Jun around him, Jun under him, the way Jun’s practically squeezing his hand with every thrust.  
  
“Harder,” Jun gasps, and Sho suddenly remembers what Jun said to him the last time he touched himself. “Harder, Sho, come on. Harder.”  
  
Sho buries his face in the crook Jun’s neck, inhaling Jun’s musky and sweaty scent as he obeys, thrusting in so deep that Jun’s close to whining. He sucks on Jun’s skin to keep himself from groaning, biting too hard when Jun clenches around him.  
  
“Fuck,” Sho breathes, unable to hear anything else aside from the slick sound of their bodies coming together. The bed is moving with them, and Jun extracts his hands away from Sho’s fierce grip to cling to Sho’s shoulders, nails scratching and making Sho moan.  
  
He’s pounding into Jun now, driving into him again and again as Jun clenches around him. Sho tries to kiss Jun and it’s sloppy, just their mouths crushed together as they move at the same time. Jun meets him with every thrust, hips bucking back with his crossed ankles around Sho acting as his leverage.  
  
Sho balances himself on his palms, placing both hands on either sides of Jun’s head as he straightens his body up. He wants to see how Jun looks like under the moonlight as he does this, if despite the darkness he can still see Jun’s desire.  
  
He grabs the back of Jun’s thighs for Jun to release his hold around his waist. Sho pushes them, marveling at the extent of Jun’s flexibility. He moves faster now, the bed constantly banging against the wall. Jun bucks back every time, and when Sho places both of Jun’s legs over his shoulders, enabling him to fuck Jun deeper, Jun fists at the sheets around him, his head thrashing and mouth parted as Sho fucks into him relentlessly.  
  
Being where he is, inside Jun and listening to their bodies coming together accompanied by Jun’s moans of pleasure and the bed creaking, Sho doesn’t want it to stop. There’s a constant buzzing in his ears and he’s probably groaning something like _fuck fuck Jun yes so good_ but he’s not sure, not when Jun continues with his hisses every time Sho hits his prostate.  
  
Sho’s thighs are tingling and when he looks down, Jun’s cock is leaking. They’re both so close, and yet, Sho wants to feel Jun coming apart inside his mouth, wants to take all of it in, for Jun’s taste to run down his throat. He circles a hand on the base of Jun’s dick as he snaps his hips faster and Jun’s eyes fly open, looking at him wildly.  
  
“Just,” Sho says—or tries to say, all he can manage are single choked words that all end as a groan. “Wait—let me—”  
  
Jun seems to understand, and when he tightens around Sho, Sho buries himself in so deep that the entire length of cock is inside Jun as he comes, entire body shuddering. He grunts in satisfaction, letting it all wash over him. He’s seeing nothing but white and feeling nothing but warmth, Jun’s scent overwhelming him. Sweat is beginning to cool off from his skin as he breathes heavily, thrusting shallowly to ride it out.  
  
It takes him moments to come back down. Weariness suddenly sinks in—his muscles ache, his joints feel like they’re burning.  
  
And yet there’s still Jun, patiently waiting because Sho asked him to.  
  
Sho pulls out slowly, and instead of lowering Jun’s legs down the mattress, he pushes them apart to see better. He watches how his come slowly slides back out, how Jun’s hole twitches at the sudden emptiness he left. His release glistens against Jun’s pale skin, shining under the moonlight and Sho just _wants_.  
  
Sho dives in without warning, lapping up his own come out of Jun’s hole and dragging his tongue further up Jun’s perineum, over Jun’s balls until he finally reaches Jun’s dick. He wraps his lips around it and hollows his cheeks, using his release to swallow around Jun’s cock smoothly, until Jun snaps his hips upward and moans with finality. Hot spurts coat Sho’s tongue and he takes all of it diligently, even humming to help Jun along. Jun’s legs are quivering around him and he strokes the insides of Jun’s thighs to help him come down.  
  
Sho only pulls away when Jun’s panting against the bed, the sheets still warm from sex. He slides up, placing both palms beside Jun’s face to maintain his balance, his breathing irregular and heart thumping madly. Jun blinks at him and satisfaction radiates off him in waves. He smiles contentedly at Sho, a slow curling of his full lips that warms Sho inside out.  
  
He finally collapses, half on the bed and on top of Jun, and the only complaint he hears is one grunt from Jun. Sho turns his head to pant his exhaustion against Jun’s neck, feeling too hot but refusing to move. Jun’s body is solid under his, as sweaty and as slick as his own and Sho’s lulled by Jun’s musky scent that’s currently filling his senses.  
  
“Did you,” Sho huffs, and he hears Jun’s questioning hum, “did you anticipate all of my wants even before tonight?”  
  
He hears more than sees Jun’s grin. “I’ve always known what people wanted. It’s in my nature. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew what you wanted to do, what you wanted others to do to you.”  
  
“Sounds like a handy gift,” Sho says breathlessly. He still can’t move his limbs, and he can’t help humming in happiness when one of Jun’s hands reaches up and plays with his hair.  
  
“You have no idea,” Jun says. This close, Sho can hear his heartbeat, can pretend he’s as human as Sho is. He somehow misses Jun in his real form, the alabaster skin and the almost golden eyes, but this guise is someone Sho spent so many nights dreaming about, and to finally have it, have him share his bed again, knowing it’s really him—  
  
“You are happy,” Jun tells him, and it’s not a question. Sho knows Jun’s not merely pertaining to contentment or satisfaction but happiness itself, something that’s not simply caused by the sex they just had.  
  
Sho merely hums, nuzzling at Jun’s neck. He’s back in Tenjin, he’s part of a reputable guild that has a highly respectable guild master. Most of his guild mates are his friends and he’s bound to make more when he fully assumes the position Nino appointed him as.  
  
He supposes he can get used to this. Nino was right. You have to give up something as you gain another, and putting his hunting days behind him is not weakness on his part. He’s giving it all up for something more promising, more worthwhile.  
  
Sho still has his doubts of course, his lingering fears, things he can’t voice out. He still doesn’t know if Jun’s sticking around or just testing out the waters, if Jun thinks he can truly stay in Tenjin and try to see what Sho wants him to see, to experience. Humanity has many flaws, and yet, Sho wants to show Jun that it’s exactly what makes it all so enjoyable, that the concept of mortality is precisely what makes everything so special.  
  
He still doesn’t know if Jun intends to keep his promise, but perhaps that’s something he can save for another day.  
  
“And yet something still troubles you,” Jun murmurs quietly, and for a moment Sho blinks, unsure of how to react. Was he that transparent?  
  
Sho pulls back a little, just enough for Jun to see his face. There’s no point in hiding it from him. Even if he’s not ready to talk about it, they can’t be too carefree. “We can’t stay here.”  
  
There’s nothing but understanding in Jun’s expressive eyes, though his lips curl a little in amusement. “Naturally. Sooner or later, your friends will find out.”  
  
“I think some of them already have,” Sho admits, remembering how Becky chose to send Jun away when he was becoming irritable. It wasn’t just a way of coping with an attitude problem or a petty incident of impatience. The illusion could only last for so long. Sho knows that Jun keeps the appearance he has because it’s what’s appealing to Sho—Jun doesn’t care about anyone else. No amateur bore the guild name, and it’s only a matter of time till the guise is discovered.  
  
Sho vowed never to put Nino in another dangerous situation. He can’t let it happen again, not after everything, and especially not so soon.  
  
“Then I may have a solution,” Jun says, fingers skimming across his brow, giving light touches over the wrinkle on his forehead. “Though it may not be to your liking. Will you listen?”  
  
Sho merely nods, and he earns a soft smile from Jun. “As vice guild master, you do have a duty you’ve been running away from, yes? Whenever you go to your hunts?”  
  
That makes Sho chuckle a bit. “Yes.”  
  
Jun hums. “I’ve indulged you regarding what you want because it is what you want. I went here because you asked me to. But you said it yourself. We can’t stay here. I can’t stay.”  
  
Sho’s blood runs cold. He is suddenly filled with dread, and it must have been obvious in his face because Jun’s smile falters. “Are you going to leave?”  
  
“Yes,” Jun responds, almost immediately. His honesty is a little too much, but Sho wouldn’t have it any other way. He knew it was coming.  
  
He rolls onto his back before swinging his legs down the side of the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. He doesn’t want Jun to see his face. He keeps his voice even. “I see.”  
  
“I was thinking…” Jun sounds uncertain, and soon Sho hears a shuffle of movement behind him. There are Jun’s fingers creeping up his back, tracing his sides, his arms. Soft, fleeting caresses that Sho doesn’t want to forget. Sho feels Jun’s chin rest against his shoulder, one arm looping around his middle, and try as he might, he can’t resist leaning back, searching more of the warmth Jun provides.  
  
Make the most of it, he tells himself. Jun is leaving, and knowing him, it’s going to be soon. Their time is over, and Sho’s mercy doesn’t really change the course of things. Jun is someone who doesn’t belong in this plane and there’s nothing Sho can do to change that, no matter how many different calls he makes.  
  
“I was thinking you should come with me,” Jun whispers, right against his ear.  
  
Sho tenses in Jun’s arms. He suddenly can’t find words. He only just got back in Tenjin. Nino wants him here, by his side, fulfilling his duty as the vice guild master after escaping it for so long. It’s his turn to support Nino, to help Nino after everything his friend had gone through for him.  
  
“But Nino—”  
  
There’s a finger on his lips, Jun shushing him. “We can travel around the continent. See your guild houses in other villages. Recruit people, direct them here. In a way, you’re still doing your duty.” Jun allows himself a small smile. “Besides, is there anyone else better equipped to keep me in line, ascertain I won’t terrorize again?”  
  
Sho turns away, dislodging Jun’s finger from his mouth. “I can’t leave Tenjin. Not so soon. I just got here.” I can’t leave Nino, he doesn’t say.  
  
Jun’s long fingers cup his jaw, tilting his face so their eyes can meet. “We can always come back. Drop a visit whenever we feel like it. Your guild won’t disappear, your friends will remain here. We won’t be gone for too long, and yet we won’t stick around for too long either. Imagine it.”  
  
There’s certainty in Jun’s eyes, but more than that, Sho sees something he has never seen before—hope.  
  
It thrills him, but it’s nothing like the thrill of the hunt. This is different and yet still equally exhilarating. He’s taking a leap of faith, yet another swan dive, but he’s not alone this time. The very thought of it makes him dizzy, fire coursing through his veins, heartbeat thundering in his ears.  
  
What Jun is proposing, it’s not exactly what Nino would approve of. But it _is_ safer than what they’re doing at present. Something that has fewer chances of tarnishing the name Nino worked so hard for, the reputation Nino dedicated his life’s work on. It’s the least Sho can do for his friend.  
  
He knows Nino wants him in Tenjin because Nino’s afraid of him dying untimely. He came too close more than once. Nino wants him nearby so he can keep an eye on him, can draw him back in case he’s thinking of doing something stupid. Again.  
  
But his presence here is currently putting Nino in jeopardy, and Sho can’t bear the idea of it. Nino already risked a lot and is continuing to risk too much, all for his sake. Nino worked hard to build a home, to establish trust and camaraderie. Most people don’t see it because Nino’s adept at hiding it, but Sho knows. Sho knows him too well and there’s nothing more important to Nino than the people he keeps close to him. They’re more important than money, fame, or glory.  
  
The idea of going with Jun and fulfilling his duty is the only way he can repay everything Nino sacrificed for him. He supposes he won’t be truly leaving Nino if he’s out there in the other towns, overseeing guild affairs that don’t reach the capital, recruiting people, giving them a place to belong, a chance to become someone better. And considering his image, the name he has made for himself, that should be enough to convince the doubtful regarding his skills. He will also be able to show Jun things, teach him and share what he knows while he’s at it.  
  
Jun is, after all, also his responsibility.  
  
“Come with me.” Jun’s touch move to his lips, thumb tracing the outline of his bottom lip. “It could be our world, Sho.”  
  
Sho momentarily shuts his eyes in acceptance. “Okay,” he breathes, and when he looks at Jun he sees relief, something akin to contentment in Jun’s eyes. It’s the closest to happiness Sho has ever seen on him. “Yes.”  
  
Jun kisses him then, and it’s nothing like the hard, desperate ones they often shared but slow and patient as if Jun’s taking his time, savoring the moment. Through the link they share Sho feels nothing but overflowing honesty and affection, and most of all, the tiny tendrils of joy. Jun’s elated, vibrating with energy unspent, and Sho wants to share it with him. It will be a different kind of partnership than what Sho initially had in mind, back when they had just arrived in Yomi, but Sho’s quick to adapt.  
  
The moonlight shines through the windows, and amidst Jun’s soft sighs and short gasps for breath, Sho can taste no lie.  
  
\--  
  
Nino is, of course, not happy when Sho tells him the plan. Sho sees it the moment his eyebrow twitches, at the way his fingers stop counting the stack of gold coins on his desk. Nino doesn’t cease multitasking unless something far more important requires his attention.  
  
“Say that again,” Nino orders. “It sounds like something you said only recently, and I think we all remember how that one went.”  
  
Sho flinches, but Jun’s presence beside him grounds him. “You want me to be your vice, Nino. I’m going to be that. I want your approval as I hop from town to town, checking up on our facilities, at some of our hunters who neglect to send word. While I’m at it, I can also recruit people for certain positions, especially if some of our guild houses are understaffed. You always complained about the lack of messengers who can update us on job postings.”  
  
“I complain about everything,” Nino counters. Nino turns to Jun, his eyes calculating. “Did you put this idea in his head?”  
  
“I can’t stay here and you know it,” Jun says, arms crossed over his chest. “ _You_ know it,” he repeats for emphasis, and Sho catches how Nino’s eyes narrow fractionally. “It was idealistic, to use the better term. Foolish, if you want me to be honest. I have indulged you and I can only do that for so long. I have to go.”  
  
There’s a moment of Nino shutting his eyes briefly, his long sigh something that puts Sho on edge. “You’re as stubborn and as hardheaded as Sho-chan. No wonder you two can’t keep away from each other.” Nino looks at Sho. “I should have known you’re never going to stay in Tenjin for long. The idea of remaining stagnant terrifies you that much. You’ve always been ill-suited for anything routinary.” His expression turns soft. “I won’t be there to have your back.”  
  
Sho smiles, reaching out to ruffle Nino’s hair. “Yes you will. You’re guild master. They all know if something happens to me, you’re going to come running.” Nino never left him, Sho realizes, despite establishing the Lotus and retiring from the profession. Nino’s a constant presence in his life, a reminder that there’s one place he’ll always belong to, one person who’ll always accept him no matter what.  
  
Nino shoves his hand away and he laughs. “On account of our former partnership and long-standing friendship, I will forget you said that in front of somebody else. But don’t do that again. It’s embarrassing.”  
  
“It’s true though.” Sho’s still laughing.  
  
Nino’s eyes move to Jun, and they stare at each other until Sho begins to grow uncomfortable. “You know what I’m going to say,” Nino tells Jun, and Jun smiles.  
  
“That you’re going to send me back to limbo if I harm him.” There’s a confident, laid-back smile on Jun’s handsome face. “And you know my answer.”  
  
Nino’s head tilts to the side. “Just checking if we’re still on the same page, Matsumoto.” He seems resigned, but unlike last time, the fear in him is not so obvious. Perhaps because this mission is less dangerous than hunting for someone so elusive. “When are you leaving?”  
  
“First thing tomorrow morning,” Sho answers, flashing Nino a determined look and a soft smile. “We’re short on time. Besides, on the way back, you said you’re worried over the allocation of funds in Inari. I can probably do something about that.”  
  
“Of course you can,” Nino shoots back with confidence. “I don’t employ incompetent people.”  
  
Sho will miss Nino’s charm and his way of handling transactions, but he can always go back to Tenjin whenever he wants to see his friend. “We won’t be gone for too long. We’ll visit you to report things personally.”  
  
“As you should. Seeing as you prefer to do your job while traveling and you leave me no choice but to accept, allow me to add a few modifications.” Nino’s sly smirk is back, and Sho straightens. In his periphery, he catches Jun raising an eyebrow out of curiosity.  
  
“You’re to visit a minimum of three towns on each trip and you’re to update me on everything—facilities, potential recruits, maintenance, funds. With Matsumoto as your acting secretary, I suppose you won’t get too overwhelmed with the information you have to relay. Conduct performance evaluations with the strictest of standards. The usual drill. If you run into a hunter of ours, ask for an update on how they’re doing. I never ask any of the hunters too many questions, but it doesn’t hurt to know if they’re on their way to doing something stupid.” Nino directs a pointed look at him then, something Jun laughs at. “That way we can prevent it, though I suppose their level of stupidity wouldn’t really surpass yours with your latest stunt.”  
  
“A thing of the past,” Sho says in his defense, his cheeks heating up.  
  
“I like it when you’re blushing,” Nino comments, head thrown back as he laughs. “But that’s it. There’s no deadline, but I want regular reports. You two can go explore the continent for all I care, as long as it doesn’t stop you from doing your job.”  
  
Sho shakes his head. “It will never come to that.”  
  
Nino has his chin plopped on his hand, a lopsided smirk on his face. “Forgive me for having trust issues on account of recent events.”  
  
“It won’t come to that _again_ ,” Sho amends, and it finally earns him Nino’s nod.  
  
The two of them share one long look, Sho’s stare filled with certainty and determination and Nino’s a mixture of hesitation and resignation. Nothing too different from the last time.  
  
Nino breaks eye contact and waves his hand in dismissal. “Good. Then get the hell out of my office and say your goodbyes to Aiba-chan and Becky.”  
  
\--  
  
Dawn is just breaking when he and Jun stand at the front doors, sunlight bathing their skin in the softest hues of yellow. Unlike Sho’s previous departure from Tenjin, there’s only Nino, Becky, and Aiba who saw them off. Nino thought it best to inform everyone of the situation when they’re finally gone.  
  
Sho nearly drops the vial Aiba hands over, causing Nino to cackle and Becky to giggle. Jun only has a knowing smirk on his face as Sho’s hands shake around the bottle.  
  
“Masaki,” he whines, cringing at Aiba’s self-satisfied face.  
  
Aiba just gave him a tonic for stamina.  
  
“Your new job requires you to be alert, Sho-chan!” is Aiba’s reasoning, but in Sho’s understanding, his hunter job was more dangerous than his new one. Aiba just wanted to embarrass him. “You need to be able to keep up!”  
  
Sho wants to say he and Jun are not having marathon sex while they hop from one town to another, but he gets a poke in his head and something like _I wouldn’t be so sure about that._ His cheeks redden.  
  
He tucks the vial angrily inside his knapsack and shoots Jun a warning glare, that he shouldn’t say anything because Sho really wants the ground to swallow him whole.  
  
“I’ll keep track of you,” Becky promises when Sho has recovered a bit of his dignity. “You’ll let me, won’t you?” It’s a question directed at Jun.  
  
“Only to reassure you that I’ve not broken the terms of the arrangement,” Jun answers, though his eyes are locked on to Nino’s. Sho’s aware that Jun and Nino had a long talk the night before, something he wasn’t privy to despite being the topic of concern. No matter how hard he prodded Jun, Jun refused to breathe a word.  
  
“I, however, will not allow you to see too much,” Jun says, the corner of his mouth twitching. “In case we’re otherwise preoccupied.”  
  
That gets Aiba to a laughing fit, one hand repeatedly clapping Sho’s back. Sho only gives Jun a disapproving look, something Becky giggles at. Nino’s smirking, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes.  
  
He’s worried. Still is, no matter how many assurances he’s been given. It’s in his nature, and Sho hasn’t exactly given him cause to stop doing it, not with his recent decisions.  
  
But Sho’s trying to become someone Nino will be proud of having as a guild member and as a friend, and he believes this is a good start. It’s unfamiliar and has its own risks, but it’s something he wants to do. For himself, for the guild, for his friends, for Jun.  
  
For Nino, most of all.  
  
He knows Nino understands. Their friendship goes beyond the point that words are needed. Nino knows Sho has to do this, or else Nino wouldn’t have allowed him to go.  
  
“I’ll be back soon,” Sho promises, meeting Nino’s eyes. Aiba steps back to give them their moment, and Sho wraps his arms around Nino’s form. “I’ll be back before you know it. Probably with more money in case one of your watchers are extorting your funds. It’s my job to confiscate that, right?”  
  
Nino hugs him back, laughs against his shoulder. “It is, but you can’t get even a cent.”  
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sho replies, half muffled by Nino’s hair. He steps back, flashes Nino a determined smile. “Don’t recruit another vice without my knowledge.”  
  
“No one can replace my idiot vice,” Nino retorts, but not without affection.  
  
Sho is surprised when Nino grabs both of his shoulders and spins him around, giving him a strong push, outside the heavy, open doors. He stumbles but catches himself in time, the wooden floorboards replaced by uneven stones under his boot.  
  
“Go. I’ll have shellfish for you when you come back,” Nino promises. When Sho turns, Nino shoots him a salute, the one he often gives whenever Sho needs one last push.  
  
Sho gives Nino one last nod before turning to look at the road ahead, one that will lead him to his new job.  
  
Jun steps out, stands beside him, and stretches out his hand down the path they have to take. They’re going to travel on foot because it’s safer that way and ups the chances of them running to a potential recruit or a hunter on a mission. It will take them longer, but that will make the trips more worthwhile and meaningful. In a way, it reminds Sho of how they first met, back when they trekked to Yomi together.  
  
At the back of his mind, Sho wonders if they can someday visit Ohno and Keiko too. It would be nice to hear from them again.  
  
“Shall we?” Jun asks, an open invitation.  
  
Sho takes a deep breath, sees the sky stretched over the heads and the sun steadily climbing up over the thin wisps of clouds, the remnants of the night gradually disappearing with each passing second.  
  
He squares his shoulders and looks out to the horizon.  
  
“Let’s go.”  
  
The world is waking up and waiting.

**Author's Note:**

> One time, I tweeted about wanting to read a fic with Sho as a demon hunter. I ended up working on this.
> 
> The sulfur bit was taken from the film version of Constantine. Everything else was from my combined readings and "research".
> 
> Huge thank you to yoshi09 who helped refine and encouraged this story, and thanks to everyone who stuck with this. I hope there was something in it that made it worth your while, considering the word count.


End file.
